U.S. Plans To Arm Syrian Rebels Were Only 'Conceptual' In Nature

U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivers remarks during the Partners in Defense reception at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., Feb. 6, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sun L. Vega

Gen. Dempsey: Plans To Arm Syrian Rebels 'Conceptual' -- USA Today

Gen. Martin Dempsey said the recommendation stemmed from an exploration of ways to hasten an end to fighting before the Syria's institutions collapse.

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT — The country's top military adviser said he viewed arming Syrian rebels as a potential option to hasten the end of the fighting and preserve the country's institutions, which are being ground down by civil war.

In his first public remarks since he acknowledged in congressional testimony that he and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta had backed a proposal to arm the rebels, Gen. Martin Dempsey provided fresh details about his thinking.

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My Comment: Conceptual in nature? The Syrian government and their allies will use this news to imply that the U.S. is intervening in their civil war. The rebels will use this news to express their disappointment that the U.S. is abandoning them. This is what happens when you do not provide leadership on what should really be a clear cut case for saying yes or no in a conflict that is claiming thousands of lives each month.