The United States has positioned warplanes and destroyers near Syria in preparation for a possible attack on the country. In an interview with the BBC, the Secretary of Defense for the United States, Chuck Hagel said the US prepared to launch strikes against Syria if so ordered by President Obama. "We have moved assets in place to be able to fulfill and comply with whatever option the president wishes to take," Hagel told the BBC. The US is the first to actively respond to the claims the Syrian government used chemical weapons on its own people.
Vice President of the United States Joe Biden recently condemned the attack that reportedly killed 300 to 1,300 people in Syria. While giving a speech in Houston the Vice President said, "Those who use chemical weapons against defenseless men, women and children...must be held accountable." Reports suggest officials from the Defense Department have listed possible targets for the US destroyers. Targets include weapons arsenals, official centers of control and command in Syria and military bases of operations. The US is not the only country considering an attack against Syria in the wake of the chemical attack.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron is calling a special Parliament on Thursday to discuss and vote on the UK's plans for responding to Syria's use of chemical weapons. "I am not going to get into details on any specifics," UPI reports a spokesman for Cameron said. "All I would say is it is reasonable to assume that our armed forces are making contingency plans." Fox News has reported that any strike on Syria by the US would likely not come before the UK casts their vote on Thursday.
Based on statements made by Secretary of Defense Hagel and other reports, the csmonitor.com has put together a hypothetical report of what a US attack on Syria might look like. To start off with csmonitor.com says the attack will likely begin at night to reduce the risk of civilian casualties. Secondly the weapon of choice is believed to be the NAVY's "precision guided munitions." Each of the four destroyers are equipped with "90 vertical launchers for Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles and defensive missiles."
While the US is considering its options in regards to Syria, crude oil prices hit a six-month high and US stocks fell. Syria is not a major producer of oil but correspondent John Kilduff told NBC that "Syria's location renders it a doorway to oil." Secretary Hagel is reported to have said that the drop in stocks and the jump in the cost of a barrel of oil is a result of the United States' announcement it was preparing a strike on Syria.
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