The White House is considering a no-fly-zone in Syria.
Russia plans to send the S-300 missile system to Syria, which could down aircraft attempting to enforce a no-fly zone.
Someone has to blink — or things could get really bad.
The conflict in Syria has raged for two years. What began as peaceful demonstrations has deteriorated into full-blown civil war, with more than 80,000 people killed and millions displaced by the conflict.
White House spokesman Jay Carney confirmed chatter about a no-fly-zone with a statement on Wednesday: "Every option available to the president remains on the table when it comes to our policy towards Syria. That of course includes the possibility of a no-fly zone."
Sen. John McCain, an advocate of a no-fly zone in Syria, secretly traveled to Syria and met with members of the Free Syrian Army for several hours on Monday. He is the highest ranking U.S. official to visit the war-torn nation since the fighting began.
Meanwhile Russia has said it will supply the Bashar al Assad regime with S-300 missile systems.
The technology would be a major upgrade in the Syrian government’s air defense system. Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, told reporters in April that Syrian air defenses are already far more advanced than what U.S. and NATO forces faced in Libya in 2011.
Military analysts say that U.S. could disable those air defenses with a cyberattack, though it's not clear how effective such an attack would be against the newer Russian missiles.
Senior Israeli intelligence officials flew to Moscow late Tuesday night in a last ditch effort to get the Russian Foreign Ministry to change its mind about backing up Assad.
The weapons would represent a serious threat to Israeli national security, as they have conducted air strikes in the Syria.
The Israeli Defense Minister, Moshe Ya'alon, suggested yesterday that force was an option in preventing Syria from possessing the missile system.
"The shipments haven't set out yet and I hope they won't. If they do arrive in Syria, God forbid, we'll know what to do," he said.
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