President approves use of US air support to Syrians

| August 3, 2015

Fox News reports that the White House has approved a plan to support those 60 Syrian folks that were trained by US advisers with US air power. Well, “support” and “air power” are two terms with which some people might argue;

Multiple defense officials tell Fox News that any supporting air strikes will be carried out by unmanned drones flying out of Incirlik Air Force Base in Turkey, to avoid the risk of American pilots being shot down by Syrian government planes or anti-aircraft weaponry. The [Wall Street] Journal also reported that the Pentagon is only authorized to carry out offensive air operations when the force comes up against ISIS, and the fighters on the ground have been specifically instructed not to carry out attacks against Assad’s forces.

[…]

“For offensive operations, it’s ISIS only. But if attacked, we’ll defend them against anyone who’s attacking them,” a senior military official told the Journal. “We’re not looking to engage the regime, but we’ve made a commitment to help defend these people.”

While I won’t argue that drones are a valuable asset on the battlefield, I don’t think I’d be all that happy to know that was my only air support available. Maybe that’s just me. But then, there are only 60 of them.

Category: Terror War

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AW1Ed

And the stated goal of this escalation is….

ChipNASA

“Vietnamization?”

😀 *runs*

UpNorth

That was the last cup of coffee from the pot. Thanks, Chip.

Yef

Yep. This was the first thing in my mind.

Skippy

Word

AW1Ed

Hook, line, AND sinker. 😉

Mike Kozlowski

…If you think about it, the drones have one big advantage this Administration has got to love: there can be a real, live human being standing behind the crew in the trailer telling them what they can and can’t shoot at.

Mike

Ex-PH2

How soon before it escalates to something worse?

Oh, I just want you all to know that the Fed IS going to start raising interest rates and we’ll very likely see a recession begin sometime in the next 18 months. Be advised, and prepared for it.

ChipNASA

Well what the heck can *I* do about it?

Invent in Greek Stocks and Bonds?

I’ve already kissed my behind goodbye because of Obummer so many times now, I’m using Preparation H as lipstick.

*runs* 😀 😀

/Tip your Veal.

SFC D

My idea of “air support” involves every flyable B-52 left in the inventory and a triple shitload of good old fashioned cheap iron bombs. Bomb it till it’s rubble then bomb the rubble till it bounces.

Skippy

Super Word

Sparks

And then some more WORD!

GDContractor

Good luck getting Putin to authorize that.

Sparks

Yea I forgot, Obama has his astrologers give him a daily update on Putin and his ups and downs. If it’s a go, the stars will have to say Putin is in a wonderful state of mind and intel will have to show he has a backlog of Chechens to “talk with”.

GDContractor

Come on SFC D, an almost unbelievably small airstrike can take care of it. So says Sec State John Forbes Kerry and he fought in Vietnam, so he should know. Get with the program.

Richard

I think that we should dig up a nice Swift Boat and let sKerry solve this problem. You know, like he did the last time.

Roger in Republic

ObodaPREZ’s idea of support is a clapped out Cessna 172 and a case of grenades. The airplane will be heavily armed with one 9 millimeter pistol. The rebels will be responsible for pilot training, fuel and maintenance. Other than this, they are on their own.

UpNorth

Wait, weren’t the parents of the folks who are pushing this idea the folks who said we should never get involved in someone else’s civil war?
That question asked, I do like SFC D’s idea.

A Proud Infidel®™

Why not just NUKE ‘EM ’till they glow?

B Woodman

. . . then shoot ’em in the dark?

Silentium Est Aureum

24 empty missile tubes, a mushroom cloud, and it’s MILLER TIME!

Joe Williams

Sixty drones ? What is the turnaround time for a drone? The really big question how long is the GO/NO GO time ? Joe

Sparks

Joe Williams, as with any Obama run program “the GO/NO GO time” will depend on him and if he is on the golf course or not. If he is, he doesn’t take calls on the back nine. Or the front nine if his putting is for shit that day. Takes me back to my days when everything went through LBJ and then Nixon first.

LBJ, “That’s a huge ammo supply point you’re wanting to bomb?”

“Yes Sir”.

“Well what about this area over here?”

“Sir that is basically empty jungles and no target value at all to speak of.”

“Okay then, bomb the jungle area.”

“But Sir, the ammo dump is a high value target!”

“Don’t raise your tone with me son! I said bomb the fucking jungle and that’s what we’re doing. Let’s ’em know we’re there.”

“Um, Yes Sir, right away Sir”.

And so went the bombing campaign of Vietnam.

Sparks

Well finally, those 60 Syrian fighters trained at the cost of God only knows how many millions of taxpayer dollars will have air cover.