Think Tank Report Says US Intervention in Syria Could Require 300K Troops and Cost $300 Billion
- Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:00pm by
Christopher Santarelli
- Print »
- Email »
A new study by the Brookings Institution may alter the opinion of a growing number of Americans who believe the time has come for the United States to intervene in Syria before anymore atrocities are committed against the Syrian people by the brutal regime of Bashar al-Asad.
The think tank estimates that U.S. intervention in Syria involving on-the-ground forces could require between 200,000 and 300,000 troops and cost up to $300 billion per year to be executed properly. The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit think tank that claims to be nonpartisan.
“Even if Bashar fails, Syria may not be out of the woods: an increasingly likely alternative to the current regime is a bloody civil war similar to what we saw in Lebanon, Bosnia, Congo, and most recently in Iraq. The horrors of such a war might even exceed the brutal reassertion of Asad’s control, and would cause spillover into Syria’s neighbors—Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel—that could be disastrous for them and for American interests in the Middle East. “
The Brookings memo lays out six options for the United States to consider to achieve Asad’s overthrow, should it choose to do so:
- Removing the regime via diplomacy;
- Coercing the regime via sanctions and diplomatic isolation;
- Arming the Syrian opposition to overthrow the regime;
- Engaging in a Libya-like air campaign to help an opposition army gain victory;
- Invading Syria with U.S.-led forces and toppling the regime directly; and
- Participating in a multilateral, NATO-led effort to oust Asad and rebuild Syria.
Brookings does not endorse a policy option but rather seeks to explain the risks and benefits of possible courses of action at this moment in time. The report acknowledges the Obama administration’s support for diplomatic solutions and Republicans like Sen. John McCain who has advocated a Libya-like air campaign.
The Hill notes that Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution last month that would have pushed for Assad to relinquish power.
Popular Stories
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 587 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 414 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 414 Comments
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 378 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 375 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 414 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 414 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 378 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 151 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 303 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 414 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (61)
Doug Piranha
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 10:12pm$300 Billion to invade Syria?
Hey. If we invade twice, that’ll almost as much as your standard Obama stimulus program.
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 10:23pmwhy invade syria when you can invade the whole middle east for 100 times the cost?
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 10:53pmRussia has sent troops.”And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and
Report Post »great authority.” The Bear is Russia,the Dragon is China.The leopard and lion could be Syria,Iran, or even another Country in the Middle east.
Detroit paperboy
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 11:10pmGet out of the way, let them kill each other……please don’t risk any American lives, we are broke !!!
Report Post »ShyLow
Posted on March 20, 2012 at 3:07amYou are not a true patriot , if you are not willing to borrow another gazillion dollars from China to hand over another country to the Muslim Brotherhood…Where all my Neo-Cons at
Report Post »dissentnow
Posted on March 20, 2012 at 7:01amIf a republican was president right now i’m sure that most of the neocons would be throwing their support behind an intervention in Syria and, at the same time, questioning the patriotism of those who oppose the war. That is how the game is played. Now that a democrat is president, the republicans have suddenly had enough of these expensive military interventions. The same can be said of how the anti-war left vanished as soon as Obama was elected. Its all a game to see who can fake the most “moral outrage” in order to gain votes. Sadly, as the game is being played, our kids are getting killed fighting wars that are NOT ours to fight and wars that we can NOT afford to fight.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on March 20, 2012 at 7:48amWe have no business in Syria at all; Russia already has troops there. All Obama would do is get us into a third world war that we would lose…considering his latest executive order to nationalize all the land and people under his control that may be what he is seeking to do…
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on March 20, 2012 at 8:20amGlass-parking-lot the entire region at a fraction of the cost of manual intervention.
Believe me, there are many more “atrocities” being committed by the current US regime against its citizens than anything going on in Syria.
Report Post »408 CheyTac
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 12:33amAnd it’s shovel ready!
Seriously though, didn’t we hear the same predictions of ultra expensive, long, drawn out affair if the USA took on Iraq’s “biggest army in the mid east”? How did that prediction work out? In the first hours of ground offensive they were surrendering to drones. Syria would be much the same – a paper tiger made out of a bunch of out dated hand-me-down com-block hardware that sucked when it was new… in 1960, operated by ineffective, poorly trained, and unmotivated Arab soldiers.
Article should be titled “chicken little’s predictions”
Report Post »MDDAWG
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 9:23pmUnfortunately, this is going to be a political move. It will have nothing to do with compassion, isolationism, nation building, despotism in the middle east or anything else. Obama will make a decision based on whether it will help him politically.
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 10:24pmwe should demand to know how exactly where each of the republican candidates stand on this issue
Report Post »Netsurfer2
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 9:08pmInteresting! The Russians can control that oil and sell it directly to the Chinese, then get rich from the money the Chinese give! Yeah, I can see this playing out! Not only that, you will see Iran play a role in it! Then we will have a good’ ole fashion world war on our hands! Good job everyone! Let’s destroy everything and not leave anything left by the time we are done! Maybe we can live without two thirds of the world??? If any of us survive! Not like anyone would ever care about little ole me and you??? How many innocent will it take out??? It’s about control folks! We have enough of our own resources! Our government is greedy and won’t even let us use our own resources! What do you expect! We have a Marxist regime to begin with, who is anti-human, very socialistic! Not like anything will change!
Report Post »So
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 9:06pmHell to the no.
Syria can’t require squat of the US.
They can kiss our butts.
Report Post »The_Almighty_Creestof
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 9:02pmLet Syria rot!
If THEIR people don’t like the way things are going…then let THEM change it.
All our intervention will achieve is the loss of more American blood, certain economic collapse and another country that that take whatever it can get its hands on from us…and then declares it hates us and joins the muslim brotherhood.
Flock them!
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on March 20, 2012 at 9:31amDitto.
Report Post »momprayn
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:54pmNO!!! It is beyond me how we can have such insane leaders, and that includes our military Commanders who advise we should do these wars, nation building in Islamic countries!!! The rebels include Al Qaeda and Hamas. The others are Muslims who will continue to hate us, all infidels, want Sharia law & plot to destroy Israel. Those are basics to their religion. Sheesh !!!!
OT but a big news story re radical Prof. Bell’s Critical Race Theory that Breitbart tapes exposed that Obama also agrees about has already been going on in our public schools:
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/03/19/Your-Child-Is-a-Racist-or-a-Victim-Critical-Race-Theory-in-Obamas-Schools
Already been/is in Illinois schools:
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/03/18/Evanston-mom-sees-critical-race-theory-up-close
Report Post »321481
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:44pmObama doesn’t care about Americans, the debt or the Constitution, just how he can use this situation to help him get re-elected.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:51pmHow much money could we save if we sent Holders Drug Cartel over there? They are already armed.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:52pmHey, we’re talking keeping the U.S. Military Industrial machine in business.
Congressmen are heavily invested in the insider trading of this “industry.” Going without a ‘war’ for even a year causes them ENORMOUS losses.
It’s VITAL to our government to have some one to kill or to send our people to be slaughtered, if they are going to make any money, at all.
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 10:26pmspot on – glad to see some folks upset about this. You guys were agsinst bush’s many wars for the same reasons, right?
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:43pmI am really sorry that those Syrians have to lose their lives in order to be free. But if they want to be free from those who want to oppress them. Then they need to fight their fight and we leave them to do so. This way we don’t have to get involved in their politics.
Report Post »It would turn out just like Iraq and Afghanistan. They have live that way for too long to change them. We will have to be there for over 50 years to kill off all the adults and train the children to be free. They have never been free so they will never know freedom.
KangarooJack
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:40pmHELLLOOOO???? Russia is already there (backing the gov’t forces). Gee, anyone for WW3 over people who HATE US???
Report Post »msconstrue
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:38pmhhmmm…….where do you suppose they will find 200,000 to 300,000 troops?
Report Post »chips1
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:55pmObama’s OWS militia?
Report Post »msconstrue
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 9:21pmcharlie rangle has had a “new” draft bill hovering around congress for about a decade, at last report it was sitting on a desk at the DOD……just sayin’!
Report Post »ShyLow
Posted on March 20, 2012 at 3:20amAmerica is 85% Neo-Con…Why would we need a draft?…We are the world’s police…ain’t ya heard
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:32pmHuury1 Act now! Only a few remain at this price! Buy now, pay later! No credit check! Major credit cards welocme! Don’t be the last on your conitinent to get into another internal war! entrance and exit strategy may involve some risk! Results, may vary!
The only reason we’re not in it already(officially) is that it is on the wrong continent. We MUST adopt a total hands off plan to that whole part of the world (wink, wink)!
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:29pm20 Helens agree, we need to stay out of Syria. Now that is a think tank I can get behind.
Report Post »BrerRabbit
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:21pmKeep the h#ll out of it. Let the barbarians eat their. Not one more ounce of American blood shed !
Report Post »momrules
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:19pmRussia is an ally of Assad and now Russia has sent troops into Sryia. If we put American soldiers into Syria to stop Assad are we not effectively going to war with Russia?
Report Post »Something to think about.
justangry
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:25pmYup. They sent fleet there a while back to warn off anyone wanting to interfere. And tell me Putin isn’t looking for an excuse.
Report Post »actualconservative
Posted on March 20, 2012 at 4:34pmThank you. We could not possibly bomb without hitting Russians. Russia has gently pointed that out to us. Syria is a Russian client state and their trainers are teaching Syrians how to handle all sorts of Russian armaments in many parts of the country. Russia would not tolerate the Arab League and the US making policy decisions in Syria. A Russia/UN/Arab League agreement is the best possible outcome here. Not our court. Not our ball.
Report Post »Arminianism
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:18pmAnyone else having issues viewing GBTV tonight?
Report Post »whatthecrazy
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 10:05pmyup
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:18pmThe Media seems to really be trying to push us in to this mess.Let the Muslims take care of it,or kill themselves off.Let’s keep our troops and our toys at home.Libya and Egypt was such successes…for the Muslim Brotherhood.
Report Post »justangry
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:33pmYeah, and what the heck would we get out of it? More terrorists in charge that hate us? But RP’s foreign policy is insane. You know we probably should listen to them though because they’ve been right so often lately… Scratch that, they’ve never been right.
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 11:55pm“And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and
Report Post »great authority.” The Bear is Russia,the Dragon is China.The leopard and lion could be Syria,Iran, or even another Country in the Middle east.
Jefferson
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:18pmGeneral Wesley Clark tells of how Middle East destabilization was planned as far back as 1991
Plans to invade 7 countries in 5 years revealed to him right after 9/11.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7NsXFnzJGw
Now you see why we’ve been trying so hard to get you to understand why Ron Paul is the only choice. We’re trying to stop a hideous agenda that has been in play for a while now.
Welcome to the PNAC/AIPAC show.
Report Post »TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 9:27pmGen Wesley Clark? Lol. An eventual John Kerry supporter…’nuff said.
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 11:56pmSo you think Gen Wesley Clark does not support Obama?
Report Post »semihardrock
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:13pmSounds like a job for ACORN!
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 9:06pmworst than bombs……drop our Libs on them
Report Post »spirited
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:13pmIf the ‘world’ lasts to 3012 ….
>sadly, Sharia Law believers –will most likely– as well.
Report Post »bigmel754
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:10pmFor a change, let’s leave the wars to the military experts, for they have the experience required! Obama might see this as a way to bring down the unemployment! Maybe this administrations rush to cut our military bases and troops and all the logistics that go with it, was a little naive!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:10pmSyria has been a Plague upon Humanity for Millennia… so, let it’s Ghosts help it!
Report Post »Chet Hempstead
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:09pmThat’s why we aren’t going to intervene. Why do they need a think tank to tell us something that my fish tank could have figured out?
Report Post »MammalOne
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:09pmGreat. What’s another Trillion dollars of debt? What’s another 10,000 dead american citizens?
Report Post »justangry
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:09pmIt‘s a civil war and it’s none of our business. I’m not a big fan of “think tanks” lately. How about letting the American people be the think tank? Nah, that’s right wing extremist thinking.
Report Post »Espada
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 8:06pmSuck Fyria.
Russian troops are already headed for Damascus. Let them solve the problem of what to do with 7th Century primitives who contribute nothing to each other or to the world in general.
Report Post »