Syria: Israeli Airstrikes Escalate Tensions

The Takeaway
The crisis in Syria escalated yet again this weekend as Israel carried out a powerful aerial assault on military targets near Damascus, opening up the possibility that the currently contained war in Syria could become an international conflict. With Israel's military actions comes a newly intensified debate in Washington over America's involvement in Syria. But according to our partner The New York Times, the United States has been in secret talks with Britain and France, even before the Israeli strikes, debating the options of American-led airstrikes in Syria. David Sanger is the chief Washington Correspondent for our partner The New York Times. President Obama has long said that the US would only intervene in Syria if there is clear evidence of the use of chemical weapons. But that fateful message, intended to issue a stern warning to Bashar al Assad, could now be the line President Obama and the administration is most regretting. Barry Pavel is Director of the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security at the Atlantic Council.
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