Panetta: Syrian Military Loyal to Al-Assad, No Unilateral US Interference
United Sates War Secretary Leon Panetta ruled out "a unilateral military action in Syria."
In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey confirmed that "there would have to be an international consensus for the US to play a part in any military operations against the Syrian government."
"There is no silver bullet," Panetta told the congressional panel.
"We also know that the complex problems in Syria can't all be solved through the unilateral actions of the US, or any other country. They demand a coordinated international response that is uniquely tailored to the situation," he said.
According to Panetta, "the US government is also providing assistance to the opposition with nonlethal support, including communications and medical equipment as well as providing $25 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people."
For his part, Dempsey stated that "while diplomatic efforts continue, the US military has been providing information and intelligence with regional partners."
Both top US military leaders claimed that "they were confident al-Assad and his regime would eventually fall."
However, neither one, was able to offer a timetable of when they thought that could be, because of the complexities involved inside Syria.
"One example of these complexities is the continued support of al-Assad by his military," the two men admitted, pointing out that "the US has said one of the keys to the regime collapsing would be major defections by the military."
"But what is actually happening inside the Syrian military ranks is not following that pattern," they clarified.
"For the time being, strong sanctions are putting Assad under greater pressure than ever before," Panetta told lawmakers.
He further concluded that "any US actions going forward must keep all options on the table, while recognizing the limitations of military force."
Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org
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