US military action against Syria

The United States has been waging a covert but largely exposed proxy war against the Syrian Arab Republic from 2011. From at least 2013 plans have been made for open military aggression against Syria. At the same time the U.S. has been waging a "phoney war" against ISIS with airstrikes in Syria and in Iraq.

2013

 * ''See Ghouta CW attack

2015

 * Airstrike on Saeqa military camp near Deir ez-Zor

2016

 * US airstrike on SAA in Deir ez-Zor

Plans for open aggression

 * The Pentagon Refused to Wait Until the Harridan Was Crowned - Wolfessblog, September 23, 2016
 * Stop Assad Now—Or Expect Years of War - John McCain, WSJ, October 4, 2016
 * Ground the regime’s air force, create safe zones for Syrian civilians, and arm the opposition. (By John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee).
 * Obama administration considering strikes on Assad, again - Josh Rogin, Washington Post, October 4, 2016
 * ''The options under consideration, which remain classified, include bombing Syrian air force runways using cruise missiles and other long-range weapons fired from coalition planes and ships, an administration official who is part of the discussions told me. One proposed way to get around the White House’s long-standing objection to striking the Assad regime without a U.N. Security Council resolution would be to carry out the strikes covertly and without public acknowledgment, the official said.
 * US Considering Air Strikes On Assad Regime After Top General Warns It Could Lead To War With Russia - Zero Hedge, October 4, 2016
 * Syrian War Report – October 5, 2016: US Considers Military Strikes on Govt Forces - South Front
 * Covert strikes on Assad back on US table to prevent ‘fall of Aleppo’ – report - RT, October 5, 2016
 * Syria: What are we going to do now? - Rodger Shanahan,  Lowy Interpreter, October 5, 2016
 * Covert strikes on Assad back on US table to prevent ‘fall of Aleppo’ – report - RT, October 5, 2016
 * CONFIRMED: US backs down over Syria following Russian threat to shoot down US aircraft - Alexander Mercouris, The Duran, October 7, 2016

More proxy war

 * US may be about to unleash 9,000 ISIS fighters on Russia - Daily Star (Tabloid), October 13, 2016
 * The (unnamed) 'military source in Moscow' said:'' "In preparation for the operation in Mosul, US intelligence agencies and Saudi Arabia agreed that before the assault all militants will be offered a safe route to leave the city with their families. “And at the time of the assault, coalition aircraft would only strike empty buildings, agreed in advance with the militants. "More than 9,000 ISIS fighters will be transferred to the eastern regions of Syria to follow a major offensive operation, which involves the capture of Deir ez-Zur and Palmyra.”

World War 3?

 * Vladimir Putin’s Outlaw State - The New York Times, September 29, 2016
 * ''President Obama has long refused to approve direct military intervention in Syria. And Mr. Putin may be assuming that Mr. Obama is unlikely to confront Russia in his final months and with an American election season in full swing. But with the rebel stronghold in Aleppo under threat of falling to the government, administration officials said that such a response is again under consideration.
 * Russia 'in danger of becoming a pariah nation,' says Boris Johnson, Independent, Oct.1, 2016 (some double bombing here).
 * Audio Reveals What John Kerry Told Syrians Behind Closed Doors, The New York Times, September 30, 2016
 * '' I think you’re looking at three people, four people in the administration who have all argued for use of force, and I lost the argument.
 * Noted: The leak audio appears to place the blame on lack of use of force on the Republican-controlled congress eg McCain-Graham

Explaining why the US is reluctant to directly join the fight like Russia has:
 * “The problem is that, you know, you get, quote, enforcers in there and then everybody ups the ante, right? Russia puts in more, Iran puts in more; Hezbollah is there more and Nusra is more; and Saudi Arabia and Turkey put all their surrogate money in, and you all are destroyed.”

He perhaps meant to say "and we all get destroyed." With everyone else on that list but the US already in, "you all get destroyed" remains the running situation, especially for the not-mentioned Syria.