The U.S. military has updated options for a forceful intervention in
Syria to give President Barack Obama a range of choices should he decide
to deepen American involvement in a civil war where new claims surfaced
this week about possible chemical weapons use by the regime.
A senior Defense
Department official told CNN on Friday that target lists for possible
air strikes have been updated. The planning also included updates on the
potential use of cruise missiles, which would not require fighter
pilots to enter Syrian airspace.
But the official
cautioned the steps were taken "to give the president a current and
comprehensive range of choices" and that no decisions were made at a
national security meeting on Thursday at the White House.
The official said there
are certain static targets, like government buildings and military
installations, but that forces and equipment of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad "continue to move" and thus require flexibility in planning.
A U.N. team is in Syria
attempting to investigate the latest claim of chemical weapons use
outside Damascus that killed more than 1,300 people, according to the
opposition.
Obama told CNN in an interview broadcast on Friday
the United States is working with the United Nations to gather
information on the alleged attack, but noted that preliminary signs
point to a "big event of grave concern."
"It is very troublesome,"
he said. "That starts getting to some core national interests that the
United States has, both in terms of us making sure that weapons of mass
destruction are not proliferating, as well as needing to protect our
allies, our bases in the region."
Obama said there was an abbreviated time frame for making decisions about Syria.
Defense Secretary Chuck
Hagel said Friday "a very quick assessment" of the allegations is
important because if the Assad government did use chemical weapons,
"there may be another attack coming," Reuters reported from aboard the
military aircraft carrying Hagel to Malaysia.
Hagel told reporters on
the plane that the military was responsible for "positioning our assets
to be able to carry out different options," but he said that did not
necessarily mean forces or assets had been moved, according to Reuters.
Speaking with "New Day"
anchor Chris Cuomo, Obama defended his administration's decision to not
intervene militarily in the conflict so far, but predicted that American
focus on the country's strife would be necessary for the fighting to
come to an end.
"I think it is fair to
say that, as difficult as the problem is, this is something that is
going to require America's attention and hopefully the entire
international community's attention," Obama said.
If the United States
affirmed evidence that indicated Syrian government responsibility, the
U.S. military options would include targeting al-Assad's capability to
deliver chemical weapons, the official added.
A White House spokesman
said on Friday that the administration has long maintained that "all
options remain on the table" regarding Syria. But Obama has previously
indicated no plans to place American "boots on the ground."
Military planners last
conducted a major update of options for Syria in April, in response to
bipartisan pressure from members of Congress.
"The plans are
constantly being reviewed and tweaked," the official said, adding that
the latest update represented a more comprehensive review of airstrike
target lists.
Sen. John McCain, an
advocate for a more forceful U.S. response to the Syrian conflict, has
suggested that American air power could take out runways and planes used
by al-Assad's forces that he said are "dominating the battlefields and
the towns and the cities."
He also said the
administration could "supply the right kind of weapons to rebels to
establish a 'no fly' zone" and utilize Patriot missile batteries
elsewhere in the region.
So far, Obama has
authorized a limited amount of military hardware for the rebels in
addition to logistical and humanitarian assistance.
A chief problem has been
identifying those rebels the United States would happily deal with vs
elements said to be militants, including some with ties to al Qaeda.
"Syria today is not
about choosing between two sides but rather about choosing one among
many sides," Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey wrote this week
to a member of Congress.
"It is my belief that
the side we choose must be ready to promote their interests and ours
when the balance shifts in their favor. Today, they are not," he said in
the August 19 letter.
Dempsey also warned that even limited military action in Syria could lead to deeper involvement.
Late on Friday, a defense official said the United States had added a Navy destroyer to the eastern Mediterranean fleet.
The USS Ramage arrived
to replace the USS Mahan, but the Mahan is going to stay around a bit
longer, so temporarily there will be four. The USS Gravelly and USS
Barry remain.
These ships are all
equipped with the Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, a long-range subsonic
cruise missile used to attack land targets.
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