It is possible, but not with the plan you are proposing.
absolutely it is possible. You think we don't know where these places are? where the people are? what their indicators are?
Libya has better terrain, a weaker government, much stronger rebels, other nations in support and we still haven't gone anywhere.
why do you keep thinking that I am saying we should aid the rebels in overthrowing and replacing the Syrian regime?
The conditions in Syria are far less favorable
only in the sense that the regime is better armed - but the
need there is much greater.
and you have to factor in the possibility of the rebels turning against us.
how would they turn against us - they have no out-of-country strike capability and no one is saying put echelons on the ground. Far more likely they would prefer to ignore us and/or ask for air support and/or money.
None of those factors matter in sponsoring terrorism. Syria isn't smuggling an air defense network across the border into Iraq.
au contraire. AQI absolutely picked up a anti-helo anti-air capability through it's Syrian supply networks. and here we are talking about barracks, training facilities, node personnel, front organizations, logistical support, leadership, and so forth. C3I
Small arms and explosives are what kill our troops, and you can't stop those from the air.
small arms and explosives are
stored prior to shipping and in
storage are vulnerable to
having a 2,000 lb bomb detonate in the middle of the pile.
but you can absolutely stop them from the air - how many times did we kill smugglers from helicopters? fast movers? Given the size and terrain of the Iraq-Syria border, we became dependent on air, both for strike and ISR, and we got fairly good at it.
Why, because your crystal ball says it is inevitable?
not my crystal ball.
Iran's.
Once, again your plan actually makes the situation worse. A weakened and angry Syria will move even further into the Iranian camp.
you can't move further in than "de facto operationally controlled by". Iran told Syria to be a dummy target for their nuclear research and what did Syria do? they
obeyed. Because that is what subordinates do when they recieve orders from their superiors. They let Iran turn them into a pin-doll for Israel... because that's what they were
told to do.
Foreign policy is the national interest
and it is in the national interest to take an opportunity to bloody the nose and significantly degrade the offensive capability of the major arm of the Iranian regional hegemony project.