U.S. Military Options in Syria

As the United States and its allies position their forces for a possible military strike on Syria, the nature of that strike will be entirely dependent on the objective of the mission. The scope of the strike will be heavily debated: whether it will be a punitive action aimed at critical leadership or command and control nodes, a strike geared toward degrading the regime's capabilities so that the balance of power tilts toward the rebels, or an assault on the regime's chemical weapons arsenal.

The more ambitious the objective the more resources will have to be committed. Additionally, the more the United States gets invested in the conflict the more likely it will be tied to the aftermath. Given the numerous constraints and Washington's already heavy reluctance to commit to another intervention in the Middle East, the United States and its allies will likely seek a limited scope for any possible operation. A punitive series of missile strikes and airstrikes or an effort to dismantle Bashar al Assad's ability to use chemical weapons is most likely.