Eight days after a chemical attack killed hundreds of people and injured thousands in Syria, the U.S. and the international community are still weighing their responses. In an interview on Wednesday, President Obama said he had “not made a decision” on a Syrian military strike, but proceeded to make the case for a “limited, tailored” military approach. After a day of deadlock at the U.N. over a draft resolution that would authorize the use of military force in Syria, the five permanent U.N. Security Council members will meet again Thursday afternoon. The meeting was requested by the Russians, Reuters reports.
On Thursday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters that any potential U.S. strikes in Syria would be “very discrete and limited” and that the White House will produce a legal justification once President Obama has decided what to do. Ernest did not elaborate on what a “discrete” military strike might look like, but he said the President believes it is important for his administration to engage in a “robust consultation with Congress” regarding Syria.
Meanwhile, as the U.S. and the international community deliberate over their options in Syria (none of which are good), the region is bracing for chaos. Russia is reportedly sending two warships to the East Mediterranean; on Wednesday, 13,000 refugees crossed into Lebanon, bringing the total number of refugees in Lebanon to one million; and Iranian officials (who have been propping up the Assad regime for years) are threatening that any military strike on Syria would lead to a retaliatory attack on Israel. “An attack on Syria is the beginning of the end for Israel,” Gen. Mohammed Ali Jafari, Commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said on Wednesday.
On Thursday, NBC Foreign Correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin joined NOW with Alex Wagner from Beirut, Lebanon to discuss the many regional implications of an attack on Syria.
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