NATO Supreme Commander: No-Fly Zone Over Syria Would Constitute 'Act Of War'

Breedlove: No-Fly Zone Over Syria Would Constitute 'Act Of War' -- Stars and Stripes

NAPLES, Italy — Rather than a quick and relatively painless affair, any effort to dismantle Syria’s air defenses as part of enforcing a no-fly zone would be tantamount to a declaration of war, cautioned NATO’s new military chief, Gen. Philip Breedlove.

“It is quite frankly an act of war and it is not a trivial matter,” said Breedlove, NATO’s new supreme allied commanderr and head of U.S. European Command, during a recent Thursday to Naples, Italy.

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My Comment: General Breedlove is 100% right.

President Obama Asks The Pentagon For A Syria No-Fly Zone Plan

Exclusive: Obama Asks Pentagon For Syria No-Fly Zone Plan -- Josh Rogin, Daily Beast

Along with no-fly zone plans, the White House is considering arming parts of the Syrian opposition and formally recognizing the Syrian opposition council, reports Josh Rogin.

The White House has asked the Pentagon to draw up plans for a no-fly zone inside Syria that would be enforced by the U.S. and other countries such as France and Great Britain, two administration officials told The Daily Beast.

The request was made shortly before Secretary of State John Kerry toured the Middle East last week to try and finalize plans for an early June conference between the Syrian regime and rebel leaders in Geneva. The opposition, however, has yet to confirm its attendance and is demanding that the end of Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s rule be a precondition for negotiations, a condition Assad is unlikely to accept.

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My Comment: I am not surprised by this report .... I am just surprised that President Obama has ordered a 'no fly zone' plan right now. I thought that this type of planning was done last year .... if not sooner.

President Obama: The U.S. Will Not Act Alone On Syria

US President Barack Obama is shielded from the rain by a Marine during a press conference in Washington Thursday. © REUTERS/ Jason Reed

Obama Says U.S. Won't Act Alone On Syria -- L.A. Times

He rules out unilateral military action even if chemical weapons use is proved.

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Thursday ruled out unilateral U.S. military action in Syria even if proof emerges that Syrian forces have used lethal chemical weapons.

"This is … an international problem," Obama said at a White House news conference with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "It's not going to be something that the United States does by itself. And I don't think anybody in the region would think that U.S. unilateral actions … would bring about a better outcome."

Obama's warnings since August that Syrian President Bashar Assad would cross a "red line" if his forces used poison gas in the nation's civil war were widely viewed as a trigger for potential U.S. military intervention.

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Update #1: Obama: U.S. preserves diplomatic, military options on Syria -- Reuters
Update #2: Obama tells Turkey: 'US will not attack Assad alone' -- The National
Update #3: Obama Keeps Diplomatic, Military Options Open in Syria -- RIA Novosti

My Comment: President Obama does not want to step into the Syrian quagmire .... and I certainly do not blame him.