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ANALYST, RETIRED MAJOR GENERAL
JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS.
HEY, TOM.
>> HEY, JOE.
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S REALLY CLEAR
HERE IS THAT THIS PLAN FOR A
POSSIBLE ATTACK ON SYRIA IS
STILL EVOLVING.
WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE IDEA
OF SHIPS COMING IN HERE,
UNLOADING WITH A BUNCH OF CRUISE
MISSILES INTO THIS COUNTRY.
THAT WOULD BE THE CORE OF THE
PLAN, BUT WE DON'T KNOW, IT
COULD BE MUCH, MUCH MORE.
MISSILES CAN BE LAUNCHED FROM
SHIPS, AND OF COURSE, THEY CAN
ALSO BE DROPPED FROM BOMBERS.
THEY CAN BE FIRED FROM
SUBMARINES.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE, IN FACT,
COULD SEE ALL OF THESE IN USE?
>> TOM, I WOULD EXPECT TO SEE
ALL OF THESE, PRIMARILY
SUBMARINES IN EASTERN
MEDITERRANEAN.
THEY ARE ALREADY LOCATED THERE.
BUT BEAR IN MIND, WE DON'T KNOW
THE PLAN, BUT I WOULD EXPECT TO
SEE BOMBERS INVOLVED.
THIS IS A B-52.
I WOULD ALSO EXPECT B-2s COMING
OUT OF WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE,
THE STEALTH BOMBER, WHICH IS IN
MISSOURI, COMES OVER THE
ATLANTIC, REFUELS IN THE
VICINITY OF ITALY, AND THEN WILL
LAUNCH ITS MUNITIONS AT TARGETS
IN SYRIA WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO
PENETRATE THE AIR SPACE.
>> THIS IS A LOT MORE
COMPLICATED, INVOLVING A LOT
MORE HARDWEARE AND PEOPLE THAN
THE SHIPS HAVE HUNDREDS OF
MISSILES.
WHY WOULD YOU WANT SUCH A
COMPLICATED SYSTEM.
>> WELL, IT'S NOT THAT
COMPLICATED.
IT'S A MATTER OF PHYSICS.
YOU CAN ONLY LAUNCH SO MANY
CRUISE MISSILES FROM THESE
SHIPS.
SO, YOU WANT TO GET MORE
PLATFORMS.
YOU WANT TO LAUNCH THEM FROM THE
AIR.
SO, YOU WANT TO MAINTAIN
CONTINUOUS PRESSURE ON THE
REGIME, SO ASSAD HAS TO KEEP HIS
HEAD DOWN, DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S
GOING ON AND HAS NO ABILITY TO
RESPOND.
>> SO, AS EACH OF THE ARMAMENTS
COME IN, THEY KEEP UNLOADING AND
UNLOADING, WAVE AFTER WAVE HIT,
AND THEY HAVE NO ABILITY --
>> SIMULTANEOUS ATTACKS.
>> BUT THERE IS SOME COMPLEXITY
INVOLVED AND HERE'S THE RISK
THAT RISEWISE IT.
LET'S SAY ONE OF THESE PLANES
WERE TO COME IN HERE, IT STRAYS
INTO AIR SPACE OR DEVELOPS
MECHANICAL PROBLEMS, AND
SUDDENLY, WE HAVE A PLANE AND A
PILOT DOWN INSIDE SYRIAN
TERRITORY.
DOESN'T THAT CHANGE THE WHOLE
EQUATION?
>> WELL, IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE
WHOLE EQUATION, BUT THERE IS
FRICTION OF WAR.
THIS IS A HUMAN ENDEAVOR.
THINGS WILL GO WRONG, BUT YOU
ANTICIPATE AND YOU PLAN FOR
THOSE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE MARINES
THAT ARE AFLOAT WITH THE NAVY SO
THAT THEY'RE IN A POSITION TO
RESPOND.
AND THE AIR FORCE HAS VERY
SOPHISTICATED, HIGHLY TRAINED
SEARCH-AND-RESCUE CAPABILITIES
THAT ARE ALREADY PREPOSITIONED.
THEY WILL NOT LEAVE FALLEN
COMRADE BEHIND.
>> SO, THE IDEA IS STILL A