Syria

NATO Supports but Stays Out of Possible Syria Strikes by its Members

By Paul Richter and Henry Chu, Los Angeles Times

The White House got a vote of support from the 28-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the key Western military alliance.

Restoring US Credibility in Syria?

By Faysal Itani

The United States appears likely to attack targets in Syria in the next few days. This has triggered speculation in policy circles and the media about possible responses from Syria, Hezbollah, and Iran.

US Strike on Syria Could Be Prelude to Diplomacy

By Barbara Slavin

It’s hard to accuse the Barack Obama administration of being trigger happy.   While Obama has been willing to use force to kill Taliban and al-Qaida militants, he has studiously avoided embroiling the United States in another war in the Middle East or South Asia.   The apparent U.S. decision to strike Syria for what […]

Turkey may Open İncirlik Base for NATO Mission in Syria

By Murat Yetkin, Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey may open its strategic İncirlik air base for possible military operations into neighboring Syria, if the Western defense alliance NATO decides for an intervention in the ongoing civil war, a ranking Turkish official told the Hürriyet Daily News on Aug. 26.

New Developments in Syria

From Obama’s “red line” to confirmation of the use of chemical weapons, events in Syria are developing quickly. Atlantic Council experts are appearing in the media daily and posting analysis as events unfold.

NATO Condemns Use of Chemical Weapons and Warns that ‘Those Responsible must be Held Accountable’

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

The North Atlantic Council has just discussed the situation in Syria and in particular the horrific use of chemical weapons around Damascus on 21 August.

Syria: A Shot in the Dark

By Julian Lindley-French

There are times when a punitive military strike can be justified, legitimate, proportionate, and effective. US Secretary of State John Kerry has described last week’s use of chemical weapons against the population of a Damascus suburb as a “moral obscenity.” He is of course right–the use of such weapons against civilians is a disgusting act […]

Pentagon Sees Syrian Military, Not Chemical Sites, as Target

By Thom Shanker, C.J. Chivers and Michael R. Gordon, New York Times

President Obama is considering a range of limited military actions against Syria that are designed to “deter and degrade” the ability of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime to launch chemical weapons, Pentagon officials said Tuesday.

Report: NATO Planning Emergency Meeting on Syria on Thursday

By ITAR-TASS

NATO is planning an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Syria in the wake of the chemical attack in suburban Damascus on August 21. According to the available information, the meeting might take place on August 29, a well-informed diplomatic source told Itar-Tass.