US: Unwise Assessment that We Can Impose Military Solution in Syria

Local Editor

Proposals contained in a memo by 51 State Department officials who advocate military intervention to remove Syrian President Bashar Assad from power, were "previously considered," the White House said Wednesday.

"The president is determined to make sure that the United States does not make the unwise assessment that somehow we can succeed in imposing a military solution on Syria," spokesman Josh Earnest said.

Relatively, the memo promoted the use of force against the Syrian regime and establishing a safe zone in northern Syria.

The proposal said President Assad should be weakened through military strikes that would force the government in Damascus to negotiate.

"I'm not really sure what that means," Earnest said. "Does that just mean there's one round of missile strikes, and then we spend a month trying to negotiate again, and if nothing happens, do we launch more missile strikes? Or then, do we have to steadily ramp up the military engagement?"

Characterizing the proposal as "a slippery slope," Earnest said that striking the Syrian regime "somehow stops short of a war against a sovereign nation that is being backed by Russia and Iran in a way."

Regarding the safe zone in Syria, Earnest said that the administration had previously laid out why it was difficult to implement.

"The truth is, you don't hear a whole lot of people talking about that [safe zone] anymore," Earnest added.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team