News

Arab League Says Assad Crossed “Global Red Line” with Chemical Attack, The National
Arab League members said Saturday the use of chemical weapons in Syria had crossed “a global red line” and some threw their support behind a US strike.

If Given Go-Ahead in Syria, US Navy Would Face Complex Mission, Washington Post
If President Obama orders the strike on Syria that Congress is considering, the US Navy will be at the forefront of a cruise missile attack that has the unusual objective of degrading Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities without striking at the heart of the program.

Syria’s Sarin: The Threat is Not Over, NOW Lebanon
The fate of the Assad regime’s remaining stockpiles remains unknown – and dangerously so. Syria’s chemical weapons depots have already moved within the country itself, and concerns about cross-border transfers are rising.

Pentagon Adjusts Plans for More Intense Attacks on Syria, Los Angeles Times
The Pentagon is preparing for a longer bombardment of Syria than it originally had planned, with a heavy barrage of missile strikes followed soon after by more attacks on targets that the opening salvos missed or failed to destroy, officials said.

Analysis

To Stop Iran, Obama Must Enforce Red Lines with Assad, Stephen Hadley, Washington Post
Every American committed to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon should urge Congress to grant President Obama authority to use military force against the Assad regime in Syria.

Muslims and Islamists in Syria, Faysal Itani, Atlantic Council
Out of ignorance, laziness, deliberate manipulation, or all of the above, persons of influence in the media and government continue to bludgeon the public with distortions of the Syrian uprising.

Obama’s Weak Syria Case, Rajan Menon, National Interest
President Obama’s case for striking Syria is perplexing and misguided. Here’s hoping that these attributes will become clear during the debate that will occur now that he has delayed acting and sought Congressional consent.

How Obama Got Syria So Wrong, Trudy Rubin, Philadephia Inquirer
Unless President Obama can show Congress that his planned Syria strike is linked to a larger – and coherent – strategy, legislators should just say no.

Objectives in Syria? Look at US Targets, Seth G. Jones, Politico
If you want to understand the Obama administration’s objectives in Syria, don’t just listen to what officials say — watch what they bomb.

Government Sources

Remarks by Ambassador Samantha Power, US Representative to the United Nations, on Syria at the Center for American Progress.