I can’t find the Sep 5 WSJ article they refer to about halfway down. But I found another Sep 5 article which reported: “The CIA’s classified personality profile of Putin says he was bullied in his youth. It also describes him as insecure, according to US officials who have read it. Russian officials dismiss such suggestions as cheap psychology.” – RB
Pentagon Is Ordered to Expand Potential Targets in Syria With a Focus on Forces
David Sanger, Eric Schmitt, NYT, Sep 5 2013
WASHINGTON — Obama has directed the Pentagon to develop an expanded list of potential targets in Syria in response to intelligence suggesting that the government has been moving troops and equipment used to employ chemical weapons while Congress debates whether to authorize military action. Obama, officials said, is now determined to put more emphasis on the “degrade” part of what the administration has said is the goal of a military strike against attack upon Syria: to “deter and degrade” its ability to use chemical weapons. That means expanding beyond the 50 or so major sites that were part of the original target list developed with French forces before Obama delayed action on Saturday to seek Congressional approval of his plan. For the first time, the administration is talking about using US and French aircraft to conduct strikes attacks on specific targets, in addition to ship-launched cruise missiles. There is a renewed push to get other NATO forces involved. The strikes attacks would be aimed not at the chemical stockpiles themselves but rather the military units that have stored and prepared the chemical weapons and carried the attacks against Syrian rebels, as well as the headquarters overseeing the effort, and the rockets and artillery that have launched the attacks, military officials said Thursday. JCoS Dempsey has said that other targets would include equipment that Syria uses to protect the chemicals, air defenses, long-range missiles and rockets, which can also deliver the weapons. Privately, some members of the Obama administration appear concerned that Dempsey’s presentations to Congress, particularly his repeated assertions that any US intervention in Syria is unlikely to have a decisive effect on the civil war, are undercutting the administration’s argument that the attacks, while targeted, would also change the Syrian government’s ‘calculus’. So as the target list expands, the administration is creeping closer to carrying out military action that also could help tip the balance on the ground, even as the administration argues that that is not the primary intent.
The bulk of the US attack is still expected to be carried out by cruise missiles from some or all of the four destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean. Each ship carries about three dozen cruise missiles. But military planners are now preparing options to include attacks from USA bombers, a development reported Thursday by the WSJ (can’t find this – RB). The Pentagon was initially planning to rely solely on cruise missiles. Bombers could carry scores more munitions, potentially permitting the US to carry out more strikes attacks if the first wave does not destroy the targets. Among the options available are B-52 bombers, which can carry air-launched cruise missiles; B-1s that are based in Qatar and carry long-range, air-to-surface missiles; and B-2 stealth bombers, which are based in Missouri and carry satellite-guided bombs. The Navy in recent days has moved the aircraft carrier Nimitz into the Red Sea, within striking distance of Syria. But Pentagon officials said Thursday that the Nimitz and its squadrons of F-18s, as well as three missile destroyers in its battle group, are not likely to join any attack unless Syria launches major retaliatory strikes attacks. Assad has openly mocked (how dare he? – RB) the US for delaying any military action, and has seized on the pause to move military equipment, troops and documents to civilian neighborhoods, presumably daring Obama to order strikes that could kill large number of civilians (none of this is true – RB). But Dempsey told Congress critturs on Wednesday that US spy agencies are “keeping up with that movement,” which he said also included prisoners (nor this, obviously – RB), potentially to be used as human shields, and that all necessary steps would be taken to minimize civilian casualties (like hell they will – RB). The Pentagon is also planning contingencies to counter or respond to any retaliatory attacks by Syrian forces. Dempsey said that Syria could lob launch long-range rockets against its neighbors, encourage surrogates and proxies like Hezbollah to assault US embassies, or carry out a cyber-attack against the US or US interests. He said: “We are alert to all of the possibilities and are (applying? -RB) mitigating strategies in the way we’ve positioned ourselves in the region.” (gibberish – RB)
Niqnaq 