Islam Times - US military options are risky in Syria: RAND Corp.

Islam Times - A US military strike against Syria carries “substantial risks” and has the potential to escalate and expand into a long term conflict, according to new study.

A study conducted by the RAND Corporation, an American global policy think tank, concluded that targeting Syria’s military forces and assets would carry drawbacks for the US.

“Any of these actions would involve substantial risks of escalation by third parties or could lead to greater US military involvement in Syria,” the RAND study said.

Karl Mueller, a senior political scientist and the report’s lead author, told POLITICO that the US has a few aerial intervention options in Syria.

“But each of these aerial intervention options has the potential to escalate or expand the conflict and could lead to unwelcome responses from [Syrian President Bashar al-] Assad’s allies or to wider or deeper US military involvement,” Mueller said.

US President Barack Obama is pushing to get support for a military attack on Syria over accusations that Damascus used chemical weapons against foreign-backed militants last month. Syrian authorities categorically reject the allegations.

Congress is currently debating whether to authorize the use of military force.

A new CNN/ORC International Poll shows that almost six in 10 of Americans - 59 percent - say Congress should not authorize even limited military action against the Syrian government.

71 percent of those surveyed said that such strikes would not serve their country’s interests.