Ef Syria News Today

Waged entirely or even predominantly by dangerous islamists and al qaeda diehards. the jihadists pouring into syria from countries like iraq and lebanon are not flocking to the front lines. instead they are concentrating their efforts on consolidating control in the northern rebel-held areas of the country, moderate opposition forces have a collection of groups known as the free syrian army continue to lead the fight against the syrian regime while traveling with some of these free armies, syria...

>> has the administration created conducted perhaps a threat assessment of how russia, how iran, how hezbollah is going to respond to a u.s.-led attack and what response do we expect from syrias allies, including russia, iran, and hezbollah to military action? >> we all agree that that would be best handled in a classified session. >> all right the -- in terms of what success looks like, i think senator udall specifically you know, said what happens if gases are used again. im wondering if we do...

Really is. they want to know what the core national security interests of the united states are that are at stake in syria. what is our ultimate goal of proposed military strikes and what happens if the strikes are not effective. to that end, mr. chairman, i would ask you, what exactly it is that we are going to be slow the voting on. is it what the white house has? senator durbin asked about the narrowness or expanse and would we be voighting within the next 24 hours? >> the chair is working wi...

Protracted stalemate and conflict in syria somehow a good thing or i an goal of u.s. policy? >> the goal of u.s. policy is not a stalemate. the goal is a negotiated solution which results in the departure of assad and the free choice of the syrian people for their future. >> and finally, id like to ask again, if, if we reject this resolution, doesnt it send a serious, as you already said, a seriously bad message to our friends and allies alike, encourages our enemies and would dispirit our frien...

Threat of the use at some future of time, thats youre right to believe that but i think and the president believes deeply and everybody at this tabletable believes that flies against all common sense and human behavior. >> let employee ask the question about iran because i think its very important. and a compelling narrative. let me ask you this the circumstances can are very different. not to trivialize what has happened in syria, but the stakes of iran obtaining a nuclear weapon which could ki...

Do so. you will notice that israel has on several occasions in the last year seen fit to deal with thats to its security because of whats in syria and not once has assad responded to that to date. i think there are a bunch of things we should talk about in a classified session. but let me just making it very clear to you that you know, you asked these questions, will this or that be more likely to happen or not likely to happen. if the united states of america doesnt do this, senator, is it more...

Secondly, let me just point out to you that with respect to this question of americans wanting to go to war, you know, you got three people here who have been to to war. youve got john mccain who has been to war. not one of us who doesnt understand what going to war means, and we dont want to go to war. we dont believe we are going to war in the classic sense of taking american troops and america to war. the president is asking for the authority to do a limited action that will degrade the capac...

But it is a collateral connection. >> i dont have any other questions, mr. chair. ill save them for tomorrow. >> thank you. senator markey? >> thank you, mr. chairman, very much. with all questions, there is great horror and disgust at assads use of chemical weapons and great sympathy for the people of syria that their leader would use chemical weapons upon his own people. and that his murderous regime is so dedicated to retaining power that they would use those weapons. at the same time in our ...

We are here talking about military action on the same time were saying there will be no solution to this civil warrer that is not a negotiated political solution. so those can seem to be at odds. i want to state my understanding of how they fit together, and you tell me if im right or wrong. if we take action, action to degrade the ability of syria to use chemical weapons, action to degrate their ability to violate international law, it will take away a significant asset that they have in their ...

Civilians on massive scale, including women and children. and so its a principle that is squarely at stake. we know that bashar al assad does not care about the principle. contrary to things that you said, we know that vladimir putin, until he shows otherwise, does not care about the principle. i hope congress still cares about the principle. it is a principle of long-standing origins. syria turned on the it. the geneva convention. the soviet union signed on the geneva convention, and then again...