US seeks options for Syria intervention
US: The United States has instructed the National Security Council to
begin seeking options for Washington's intervention in Syria, especially
through the Syrian opposition.
The options for US interference include what American officials have
called the "unlikely" option of imposing a no-fly zone over the Arab
country.
The process led by US National Security Council Director Steve Simon
is expected to involve top members of the State, Defense and Treasury
Departments and focus on ways to "aid" the Syrian opposition.
Other possibilities include providing "humanitarian aid" to rebel
forces and establishing a "safe zone" inside Syrian territory,
presumably through military means, near the Turkish border.
Establishing a no-fly zone over parts of Syria would likely involve
large-scale attacks on the Syrian air defense and military
command-and-control systems.
The possible resort to military force is believed to indicate the
futility of a new round of sanctions the US has slapped against
Damascus.
Many people, including a large number of security forces, have been
killed in months of deadly unrest across Syria. The unrelenting bout of
violence erupted when protests were held against and in support of
President Bashar al-Assad's government. The Syrian opposition accuses
the government of cracking down on anti-government protests. But
Damascus blames the ongoing unrest on foreign-backed armed gangs,
arguing that army and security personnel have been given clear orders
not to harm civilians.
On Wednesday, the head of an Arab League (AL) delegation
investigating the unrest in Syria described the situation in the
crisis-hit city of Homs as ''reassuring''.
"There were some places where the situation was not good.
But there wasn't anything frightening, at least while we were there.
Things were calm and there were no clashes," Sudanese General Mohamed
Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi said. Press TV |