NATO considering no-fly zone for Syria

Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — NATO has been drafting plans for a military option in
Syria.

A leading U.S. military commander said NATO was drafting and reviewing
military contingencies against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
U.S. European Command chief Adm. James Stavridis said Washington would join
any NATO intervention in Syria.

U.S. European Command chief Adm. James Stavridis.  /AP
U.S. European Command chief Adm. James Stavridis. /AP

“The alliance has taken a position that it will follow the same sequence
that was used in Libya,” Stavridis said. “We are prepared if called upon to
be engaged.”

In testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 19,
Stavridis acknowledged efforts by such NATO and European Union
members as Britain and France to bolster the Sunni rebels. The admiral said NATO was considering the establishment of a no-fly zone to stop Syrian Air Force attacks on rebel strongholds in central and northern Syria.

“So within NATO channels, what we are focused on is defending that
border with Syria,” Stavridis said. “We’ve moved Patriot missiles down
[there] to do that. We are looking at a wide range of operations, and we are prepared if called upon to be engaged as we were in Libya.”

Stavridis’ remarks came a day after the Syrian military launched its
largest air strike on Lebanon. Syrian Air Force fixed- and rotary-wing
aircraft fired at least six missiles at suspected rebel strongholds up to
five kilometers inside Lebanon. On March 20, Syrian artillery batteries
renewed shelling of Lebanon.

One option discussed by NATO was that its six ballistic missile defense
batteries in Turkey be used to enforce the no-fly zone over northern Syria.
Stavridis said such an operation would require consensus from the 28 members
of the Western alliance.

NATO was also examining the feasibility of providing arms to the Sunni
rebel movement in Syria. Stavridis also acknowledged the prospect that NATO
could destroy Syrian air defense batteries.

“We are looking at a variety of operations,” Stavridis said.

Congress has been mulling measures to supply the rebels. Two senators,
Bob Casey and Marco Rubio, have introduced a resolution to provide
unspecified non-lethal aid to rebel militias that underwent vetting.

“Down the road we may make another determination,” Casey, referring to
supplying arms to the rebels, said.

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