August 27th, 2013
02:34 PM ET

Hagel on Syria: 'Ready to go' if ordered

With a flurry of diplomatic signals and activity, U.S. officials sought Tuesday to lay the groundwork for a possible military strike on Syria in response to last week's suspected chemical weapons attack that Washington blames on President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry consulted allies and indicated potential imminent action by a coalition likely to include key NATO partners and regional powers.

Days after the United States moved warships armed with cruise missiles into the region, Hagel told the BBC on Tuesday that forces were ready to carry out a strike if ordered. A senior Defense Department official told CNN that any strike could be completed "within several days."

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Filed under: Military • Syria
soundoff (33 Responses)
  1. saywhat

    Have a worry free evening my friend. I would beg your leave.

    August 27, 2013 at 7:42 pm | Report abuse |
  2. rupert

    Im all for it,so long as hagel and the rest of the hand waving washington politicians are on the front line.

    August 27, 2013 at 9:49 pm | Report abuse |
  3. chrissy

    Lol @ rupert. Now you know that aint gonna happen.

    August 27, 2013 at 10:35 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Dallas55

    Most pathetic administration ever. "We have to make a futile gesture, borrowing money from the Chinese to pay for million dollar tomahawks to launch at empty buildings (so nobody gets hurt), but it'll be brief..." At the same time Hagel is sequestering one hundred and twenty thousand soldiers and forty thousand marines out. Credible force equals capacity times will. This administration has no will and is rapidly destroying US capacity. What a debacle.

    August 28, 2013 at 9:46 am | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      Be careful what you ask for. War isn't cheap. Just ask the previous administration.

      August 28, 2013 at 6:14 pm | Report abuse |
  5. saywhat

    @Dallas
    this country is being destroyed from within by neocon hawks for the past decade now ready to march on Damascus after getting us mauled in Iraq and Afghanistan.
    Syrian war has an approval rating of less than that of our venerated Congress.
    What we ignore here is that how helpless we are rendered by constantly tightening noose of thw War Party around the will of this country and nation.

    August 28, 2013 at 12:17 pm | Report abuse |
  6. saywhat

    The War Part is not just the neocon dominated Congress but the whole mindset in our politics and society, special interests and foreign lobby.

    August 28, 2013 at 12:19 pm | Report abuse |
  7. saywhat

    I agree with the sentiment expressed by@rupert, let those who beat the drums of war be shipped to frontlines. Let the likes of Sheldons, Koch bros, Murdochs, AIPAC, Heritage Foundation, the bunch serving foreign interests in Congress etc finance these wars..
    But alas@chrissy is right.Thats not gonna happen.

    August 28, 2013 at 12:23 pm | Report abuse |
  8. bobcat (in a hat)©

    As I have stated before, and will continue to do so @ saywhat, it is those that have no intention of joining in and doing their part or agreeing to submit their loved ones to the cause, who scream the loudest. There is never any thought given to the families who have the loved ones in the direct line of fire.

    August 28, 2013 at 1:13 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Julio

    For a guy that campaigned on reaching out with an unclenched fist and ending Iraq and Afghanistan, obama sure isturning out to be a warmongerer. Anyone else notice how his Libya intervention, ending Qadafi, only helped al qaaeda as will ending Assad. Whose side are you on, dictator-in-chief?

    August 28, 2013 at 2:04 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      This is what I notice: the right criticisize Obama for not intervening, and the far right criticizing when he does. And, think aout the name you just called him. If he were a dictator, he would be far more powerful, and this all would be moot.

      August 28, 2013 at 6:06 pm | Report abuse |
  10. saywhat

    @Julio
    admittedly our non policy in foreign affairs already in shambles has seen no change since the demise of Bush-Cheney regime. Pr.Obama seems to have given up his promises against the unrelenting onslaught of MIC, an unproductive opposed Congress and foreign pressures. Sad.

    August 28, 2013 at 2:13 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      Congress has nine scheduled session days in September. Wonder what they'll accomplish?

      August 28, 2013 at 6:10 pm | Report abuse |
  11. saywhat

    response to @Julio blocked. Time to call it a day.

    August 28, 2013 at 2:14 pm | Report abuse |
  12. saywhat

    @bobcat
    agree absolutely.

    August 28, 2013 at 5:47 pm | Report abuse |
  13. james ainoris

    Germany should be forced to recover all chemicals that deguassa gmbh sold to all these Arab countries....American and Israeli soldiers should not be put in harms way while euro trash profits.....this is the same company which made gas used in holocaust....check it out for your self....Andrea merkel had a German Parliament meeting about this.....yet the UN remains quite....

    August 28, 2013 at 6:55 pm | Report abuse |
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