Sabre-rattling from the West

Pentagon draws up 'internal review' as US searches for way to stop Syria killing

Military action not ruled out as pressure grows for more decisive action from Washington against Bashar al-Assad regime

the Guardian,

8 February, 2012

The Pentagon is drawing up contingency plans for intervention in Syria that include military action, as the Obama administration casts around for a more effective strategy to stop the regime in Damascus carrying out violence its own people.

The defence department has for several weeks been planning a range of US actions, from dealing with a flood of refugees and the provision of medical relief to a direct military assault on Syria. Included in the planning is intervention coordinated with allies such as Turkey and other countries in Nato.

Administration officials said the "internal review" was at the initiative of the Pentagon, not the White House, in order to be able to present options to President Obama if he were to call for them. Officials said they are not an indication of a shift away from the focus on the pursuit of a diplomatic solution with a strong emphasis on sanctions against Damascus.

But pressure is growing in Washington for more decisive action by the Obama administration as the Assad regime intensifies its assault on Homs, reportedly killing scores of people in recent days in shelling. More than 5,000 people are believed to have been killed in the uprising over the past year.

The calls for Washington to act more decisively have also strengthened after Russia and China vetoed a UN security council resolution intended to ratchet up international pressure by calling on Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, to resign.

Senator John McCain, who was a strong supporter of military intervention in Libya, this week said the US should plan to deliver weapons to the Syrian rebels.

"We should start considering … arming the opposition. The blood-letting has got to stop," he said.

McCain was joined in the call for support to the rebels by senators Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham and other members of Congress.

Syrian protesters have been appealing for outside intervention for months.

The Pentagon declined to discuss the preparations.

"Our military plans for a variety of contingencies. That's what we do. Our focus remains on diplomacy, which we believe is still possible," said major Chris Perrine, a defence department spokesman.

Barack Obama at the weekend ruled out a Libya-style military operation in which the US and Nato conducted a bombing campaign ostensibly to defend civilians from attack from Muammar Gaddafi's forces but which swiftly evolved in to a war of support for the Libyan rebels.

The state department said in response to McCain's call that arming Syrian rebels is not likely.

"We never take anything off the table," said Victoria Nuland, a state department spokeswoman. "However, as the president himself made absolutely clear and as the secretary has continued to say, we don't think more arms into Syria is the answer … Some of these proposals that people are brooding about could not be done without foreign military intervention."

The Obama administration says that for now the focus remains firmly on diplomatic pressure on Damascus. This week the US closed its embassy in Damascus. Several European countries, including Britain, withdrew their ambassadors.

The US, France, Britain and Arab governments say that after the Russian and Chinese blocking of UN action they are working to form a contact group to work with the Syrian opposition to depose Assad.

"We are working with our partners again to ratchet up the pressure, ratchet up the isolation on Assad and his regime," said Jay Carney, the White House press secretary. "That pressure is having an impact. Ultimately, it needs to result in Assad ceasing the violence, stopping the brutality and allowing for a transition supported by the Syrian people."

Nuland said that part of the intent of sanctions is "to squeeze the money that he gets to continue to fuel his war machine."

"We're going to work with countries around the world to call out those who are still sending him weapons, and expose that," she said.

But Nuland acknowledged that that it remains uncertain whether sanctions and diplomatic pressure will prove to be effective swiftly enough.