The advanced air defense weapons Russia has provided to Syria’s regime would make it difficult to establish a no-fly zone there as part of an effort to help the rebellion, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East told senators Tuesday.
Marine Gen. James Mattis, head of U.S. Central Command, declined to detail any military options the Pentagon has developed for action against the regime. But he told the Senate Armed Services Committee that it would take a significant military commitment to create even safe havens in Syria where aid could be delivered, as Sen. John McCain suggested Monday.
Mattis said he has not been directed to do detailed planning on how to establish safe havens in Syria where opposition forces could be trained. But he said that since there is no protective terrain, a large number of international military troops would have to be used to create a security barrier.
President Barack Obama said Tuesday that unilateral military action by the United States against the Syrian regime would be a mistake, and that the situation in Syria is more complicated than it was in Libya.
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