August 27, 2013 4:59 am
Four U.S. Navy destroyers armed with land-attack cruise missiles are positioned in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea as President Barack Obama considers ordering attacks on Syria for using chemical weapons against civilians.
Pentagon officials said the naval power includes the guided missile destroyers USS Ramage, USS Mahan, USS Gravely, and USS Barry. At least one missile-firing submarine is also said to be in the region. Britain also reportedly has dispatched a missile-firing submarine to waters near Syria.
Potential targets of the strikes include chemical weapons sites and artillery rocket units.
The strategic intelligence firm Stratfor, in a military analysis of Syria options, said the Pentagon could use U.S.-based strategic bombers and B-1 bombers based at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar for strikes.
“In such an operation, the United States would be able to carry out standoff attacks beyond the range of Syrian air defenses, while B-2 bombers could stealthily penetrate the Syrian integrated air defense network to drop bunker-busting bombs with minimal risk,” the analysis states.
Two U.S. aircraft carriers are days away from being within range of Syria and the Air Force is capable of surging warplanes to the region at air bases in Turkey, Greece, Jordan, and Cyprus, Stratfor said.
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