After the sarin attack on the Damascus suburb, USA was ready to launch air strike to punish the Syrian government for allegedly crossing the ‘red line.
The strike was postponed as Congress prepared for hearings, and subsequently cancelled when Obama accepted Assad’s offer to relinquish his chemical arsenal in a deal brokered by Russia.
Why did Obama delay and then relent on Syria when he was not shy about rushing into Libya? The answer lies in a clash between those in the administration who were committed to enforcing the red line, and military leaders who thought that going to war was both unjustified and potentially disastrous.
British intelligence had obtained a sample of the sarin used and its analysis demonstrated that the gas used didn’t match the batches known to exist in the Syrian army’s chemical weapons arsenal.
For months there had been acute concern among senior military leaders and the intelligence community about the role in the war of Syria’s neighbours, especially Turkey. Prime Minister Recep Erdoğan was known to be supporting the al-Nusra Front, a jihadist faction among the rebel opposition, as well as other Islamist rebel groups.
The American and British intelligence communities had been aware since the spring of 2013 that some rebel units in Syria were developing chemical weapons.
The Generals are less militant than some in the administration. [RT]
For months there had been acute concern among senior military leaders and the intelligence community about the role in the war of Syria’s neighbours, especially Turkey. Prime Minister Recep Erdoğan was known to be supporting the al-Nusra Front, a jihadist faction among the rebel opposition, as well as other Islamist rebel groups.
The American and British intelligence communities had been aware since the spring of 2013 that some rebel units in Syria were developing chemical weapons.
The Generals are less militant than some in the administration. [RT]
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