Experts discuss Syria military action
Experts deliver their opinions on Western statements suggesting military action against the Syrian government.
An alleged chemical weapons attack in a Damascus suburb last Wednesday has prompted statements by Western governments hinting at military action against the Syrian government.
Below are the views of experts on a possible military operation on Syria.
| Wesley Clark, retired US general |
|
|
Clark was NATO’s supreme allied commander in 1998 and 1999 at the time of the Kosovo War.
He says any potential military solution to the Syrian crisis requires a carefully thought-out strategy before being carried out.
| Joseph Kechichian, political analyst |
|
|
Kechichian is a historian and political scientist specialising in the Gulf region.
He says there has been a change in the thinking of Western governments over the necessity of a UN Security Council approval for military intervention in Syria.
| Mark Kimmitt, former US defence official |
|
|
Kimmit is a former US deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East.
He says the military forces of the US, UK and France have significant options in case of an attack on Syria.
| Adel Darwish, journalist |
|
|
Adel Darwish is the political editor of Middle East Magazine.
He says “boots on the ground” are needed to really achieve anything, and that intervention is more about public outrage than real results.