Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria

[illram]

If the decision was "do something:" I would probably do something designed to punish and deter. E.g. destroy and/or debilitate the command infrastructure that was utilized to order the attack and would be utilized to order future attacks. Palace and Assad himself are fair game. Destroy and/or debilitate the military's ability to manufacture and use chemical weapons in the future. Missile sites, factories, bases. Swift and with a clear directive that these attacks are for violating international laws of war and committing crimes against humanity. Try and get buy in from other foreign countries and the UN but realize political realities might prevent that. Rebel input is helpful but their opinion is not be all, end all if your directive is the enforcement of international war crimes law, because this would not be an intervention designed to turn the tide of a civil war, even if that is a byproduct.

 

[DinoDoc]

If the decision was "do something:"

The plan for the strike being considered isn't meant to do any of that. In the words of the admin its only meant to be muscular enough to not be mocked.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Or as Jon Stewart put it:

Oh, right. We have to bomb Syria because we are in 7th grade.

Bonus clip:

Putting Americans in harms way. That is not what the president is asking for here.

General, do you want to speak to that?

No, not really, Secretary. Thank you for offering.

 

[BSmith1068]

If the decision was "do something:" I would probably do something designed to punish and deter. E.g. destroy and/or debilitate the command infrastructure that was utilized to order the attack and would be utilized to order future attacks. Palace and Assad himself are fair game. Destroy and/or debilitate the military's ability to manufacture and use chemical weapons in the future. Missile sites, factories, bases. Swift and with a clear directive that these attacks are for violating international laws of war and committing crimes against humanity. Try and get buy in from other foreign countries and the UN but realize political realities might prevent that. Rebel input is helpful but their opinion is not be all, end all if your directive is the enforcement of international war crimes law, because this would not be an intervention designed to turn the tide of a civil war, even if that is a byproduct.

This is exactly what my preferred response would be.

 

[Gen.Mannerheim]

Or as Jon Stewart put it:



Bonus clip:

I spewed my Coke all over my friend when I saw the general say that!

 

[Borachio]

"This video only plays in the US".

Hmm. Is that because it's terribly bad or terribly good?

 

[Rashiminos]

If the decision was "do something:" I would probably do something designed to punish and deter. E.g. destroy and/or debilitate the command infrastructure that was utilized to order the attack and would be utilized to order future attacks. Palace and Assad himself are fair game. Destroy and/or debilitate the military's ability to manufacture and use chemical weapons in the future. Missile sites, factories, bases. Swift and with a clear directive that these attacks are for violating international laws of war and committing crimes against humanity. Try and get buy in from other foreign countries and the UN but realize political realities might prevent that. Rebel input is helpful but their opinion is not be all, end all if your directive is the enforcement of international war crimes law, because this would not be an intervention designed to turn the tide of a civil war, even if that is a byproduct.

If the US was going to be consistent about it, it would have to take out the rebel stores as well.

 

[illram]

Do we know about rebel stores? Where they are? Everything I have heard so far seems to point to this being from the Syrian government even if the amount used was a mistake.

But I suppose if there was evidence of the rebels using it then that would change things.

 

[Borachio]

There's some reports of some seizures of sarin in Turkey, apparently belonging to Al Qaeda, I believe.

Whether there actually are "stores" of chemicals held by Syrian rebels is probably indeterminable.

 

[illram]

Assuming the evidence for rebel possession and use of chemical weapons is a not as substantial as the evidence that Syria did the same. Then the question is: when faced with evidence Syria did it, do you stop and do nothing when faced with allegations of a lower evidentiary value that someone else did it too? I would say no.

 

[Kaitzilla]

Wow, so apparently the Saudis are prepared to pay the US to take out Syria.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/04/arab-nations-offered-to-p_n_3868087.html

Arab nations have offered to help pay for any US military intervention in Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry told lawmakers Wednesday as he sought support for missile strikes.

"With respect to Arab countries offering to bear the cost and to assist, the answer is profoundly yes, they have. That offer is on the table," Kerry said as he appeared before a House of Representatives panel.

The offer was "quite significant," he said.

"Some of them have said that if the United States is prepared to go do the whole thing the way we've done it previously in other places, they'll carry that cost. That's how dedicated they are to this."

Finally, we can do something about the national debt!

Cruise missile strike - $70 billion
Ground invasion, topple the govt., and then leave - $500 billion
Total conquest and nation building package (Regime change with executions on live TV) - $1.1 trillion
Conquer Iran too - $2.5 trillion

$_$

 

[r16]

dead wrong about it . Considering October is supposed to be the month the Debt Ceiling is supposed to be raised again , Uncle Sam is throwing a fit for only a trillion . Conquer the Moon and everybody in the US can have a Rolls ...

 

[caketastydelish]

Wow, so apparently the Saudis are prepared to pay the US to take out Syria.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/04/arab-nations-offered-to-p_n_3868087.html




Finally, we can do something about the national debt!

Cruise missile strike - $70 billion
Ground invasion, topple the govt., and then leave - $500 billion
Total conquest and nation building package (Regime change with executions on live TV) - $1.1 trillion
Conquer Iran too - $2.5 trillion

$_$

I clicked that link and no specific numbers for the cash we'd be making were there, much less those specifically that you mentioned.

Anyway, I'm generally opposed to the U.S. military being 'mercenaries for hire' regardless.

 

[Borachio]

Assuming the evidence for rebel possession and use of chemical weapons is a not as substantial as the evidence that Syria did the same. Then the question is: when faced with evidence Syria did it, do you stop and do nothing when faced with allegations of a lower evidentiary value that someone else did it too? I would say no.

So you'd intervene on both sides of the civil war at once?

That's an interesting idea. I don't think it's ever been, officially, tried before.

 

[red_elk]

So you'd intervene on both sides of the civil war at once?

Why not? Split forces in two parts, one will intervene on Assad side, the other one against.

 

[Borachio]

Hmm. I think that might be counter-productive.

Why not just attack both sides at once? Make it a three-sided civil war. Or more. It could be fun, though confusing.

 

[red_elk]

"In response to a terrorists attack committed by unknown forces, USA launched air strikes at random places"

 

[Chiteng]

Are we talking actual 'ethics' or 'real-politik'?
They are not at all the same. To discuss the first post, it needs to be clear,

 

[Defiant47]

I clicked that link and no specific numbers for the cash we'd be making were there, much less those specifically that you mentioned.

Anyway, I'm generally opposed to the U.S. military being 'mercenaries for hire' regardless.

I agree, but hopefully it'll shut up all those people who are saying "what business does US have to be in Syria". Now we're getting paid! We have business there, so it's OK now, right?

So you'd intervene on both sides of the civil war at once?

That's an interesting idea. I don't think it's ever been, officially, tried before.

Well, ideally we'd just completely conquer and annex countries such as this, and force stability and a high standard of living upon them.

"In response to a terrorists attack committed by unknown forces, USA launched air strikes at random places"

Targeted airstrikes to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons and chemical weapons manufacturing in order to prevent the future use of chemical weapons is hardly "random".

 

[Gen.Mannerheim]

So you'd intervene on both sides of the civil war at once?

That's an interesting idea. I don't think it's ever been, officially, tried before.

Brandenburg made a career of this during the German Wars of Religion and the Thirty Years War.