Pentagon chief warns against unilateral military action against Syria U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey (1...
Pentagon chief warns against unilateral military action against Syria
U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey (1st, R) and Secretary of Defence Leon E. Panetta (2nd, R) participate in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill March 7, 2012 in Washington D.C., the United States. It is a hearing about the testimony on the current situation in Syria from Pentagon officials. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)
WASHINGTON, March 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday that it would be a mistake for the U.S. to take unilateral military action against Syria.
"We are reviewing all possible additional steps that can be taken with our international partners to support efforts to protect the Syrian people, end the violence, and ensure regional stability, including potential military options if necessary," Panetta said in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"Although we will not rule out any future course of action, currently the administration is focusing on diplomatic and political approaches rather than a military intervention," he said. "For us to act unilaterally would be a mistake."
The secretary was echoing President Barack Obama who rejected the idea of unilateral military action against Syria at a White House press conference Tuesday.
"For us to take military action unilaterally as some have suggested, or to think that somehow there is some simple solution, I think is a mistake," the president said.
Rejecting a parallel with Libya, where NATO's air raids helped the opposition topple Muammar Gaddafi and his government, Obama noted that for Libya the U.S. and its allies mobilized the international community, won a UN Security Council mandate and had the "full cooperation" of the Arab states.
The situation in Syria, however, is much more complicated, he said, adding that Washington will continue to work with key Arab states and its key international partners toward a resolution of the Syrian conflict.
Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, suggested a no-fly zone is possible over Syria.
Among the military options are enforcement of a no-fly zone and humanitarian relief, he told the same hearing Wednesday.
However, the White House refused to take Dempsey's remarks as a statement of policy.
"My sense, based on what you just described and my understanding of what he said, is that was a statement of logistical possibilities, not a statement of the policy we're currently pursuing," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters en route Charlotte, North Carolina.
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