Obama expands bombing in Syria to support U.S.-backed rebels

[n2doc]

The White House has expanded its bombing campaign in Syria to help defend a small Pentagon-backed force against other armed insurgent groups or government security forces, U.S. officials said Monday.

The decision by President Obama to broaden the air war potentially increases the danger that the U.S. military could wind up in a confrontation with forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad, pulling the U.S. more deeply into the country's four-year-old civil war.

Until now, the U.S.-led air campaign that began last August has targeted only Islamic State positions, facilities and convoys. Obama has urged Assad to step down, but has sought to keep the U.S. military out of the civil war.

The policy shift came to light after several dozen U.S.-vetted and trained fighters at a compound in northern Syria were attacked early Friday by about 50 militants from the Nusra Front, a group linked to Al Qaeda.

more

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-us-syria-20150803-story.html

[Maedhros]

1. Yay.

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/08/03/report-finds-hundreds-civilians-killed-u-s-led-bombing-isis-iraq-syria/

A new report from a group of journalists and researchers says that hundreds of civilians have died during airstrikes by the U.S. and other nations fighting the Islamic State, a marked contrast to the Pentagon’s official admission of just two civilian deaths.

The report, from the nonprofit group Airwars, which tracks coalition airstrikes on Iraq and Syria, says that it has documented between 459 and 591 civilian deaths in 52 credible incidents. In one of the worst cases, in Al Bab, Syria, a U.S. strike on a local Islamic State headquarters being used as a jail killed up to 58 non-combatants, including women and teenagers.

Next Saturday marks the first anniversary of the United States’ bombing campaign against Islamic State militants in Iraq. Over the past year, a U.S.-led coalition including Canada, France, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and other European and Gulf states has carried out over 5,800 airstrikes against the group in Iraq and Syria.

[n2doc]

2. Just like Vietnam n/t

[arcane1]

5. 5,800 airstrikes...

Imagine having 5,800 hijacked planes over the course of 2001, on top of the 4 from 9/11. Talk about terror!

[bigwillq]

3. Bomb, Baby, Bomb.

[MisterP]

8. that's what McCain said! I'm so glad he lost, or else we'd be back in Iraq and Syria

we're not in Iraq and Syria, because we have a Dem president and Democrats don't do that, no matter what the facts say

[arcane1]

4. At least they're using the word "war"

I suppose that's progress

[WDIM]

6. And the war profiteers applaud with their profits of death.

Keep those murder machines rolling Mr Obama. You dont want to upset the MIC.

[Comrade Grumpy]

7. Closer and closer to open war against Assad.

To protect "several dozen US-vetted and trained fighters."

In a civil war where there are probably 100,000 armed insurgents.