Sources: Obama seeks new Syria strategy review to deal with ISIS, Assad

[applegrove]

Sources: Obama seeks new Syria strategy review to deal with ISIS, Assad
By Elise Labott, Global Affairs Correspondent, CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/12/politics/obama-syria-strategy-review/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

"SNIP........................



In October the U.S. stressed an "Iraq first" strategy with efforts to degrade ISIS in Iraq as the priority and operations in Syria done to shape conditions in Iraq. Washington hoped that would give time for the US to vet, train and arm a moderate Syrian rebels fighting force to combat ISIS, and ultimately the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

But with the Free Syrian Army struggling in a two-front battle against Assad's forces and extremists from both ISIS and other extremist groups like al-Nusra, U.S. officials recognize the "Iraq first" strategy is untenable.

"Developments on the ground have caused the national security team to collectively conclude we may not have time for Iraq first. In an ideal world you would drive ISIL out of Iraq and pivot to Syria. But if by then the moderate opposition has been smacked and ISIL is still there, that doesn't help," a senior administration official said.

Among the options being discussed are a no-fly zone on the border with Turkey and accelerating and expanding the Pentagon program to vet, train and arm the moderate opposition.




.........................SNIP"