Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The administration of President Barack Obama has been
urged to organize an international military coalition against Syria.

A leading member of Congress called on the United States to lead a
coalition of NATO and Arab states to plan for attacks on the regime of
Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Sen. Carl Levin said the proposed 12-member coalition should prepare for air strikes on Syrian military facilities to help the sagging Sunni revolt.

“Increased military pressure on Assad is the only way to achieve a negotiated settlement in Syria, which in turn is needed to restore stability to a region that certainly doesn’t need any more instability,” Levin said.

In an address on July 10 to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Levin said he envisioned what he termed “limited actions” by the proposed U.S.-led coalition against the Assad regime. He cited such regime targets as the Syrian Air Force, artillery corps and intelligence facilities.

“The United States should join with other members of the so-called
London 11, including a number of Arab countries in the region who openly
oppose the Assad regime, to comprehensively plan additional steps to up the
military pressure on the Assad regime,” Levin said.

Levin, who returned from Jordan and Turkey, was joined by Sen. Angus
King in calling for a military campaign against Assad. The two senators were
said to have met political and military leaders as well as Syrian rebels.

“Even the announcement of a coordinated planning process for increased
support to the Syrian opposition would show Assad and his Russian allies the
serious purpose of a broad international coalition, boost the morale of the
Free Syrian Army, and advance our limited goal of bringing about a political
solution,” Levin said.

But the senators stressed that they did not support U.S. military
deployment in Syria. They also said the current effort should focus on
military planning and rebel aid rather than actual attacks on Syria.

“I know of no one who is proposing American boots on the ground,” Levin
said. “But we can and should support the Syrian people’s struggle by helping
train and equip them and by helping establish a broad international
coalition to increase the military pressure on the Assad regime.”

  Bashar Assad, Sen. Carl Levin, Sen. Levin calls for air strikes on Syria, Sunni rebels