John Kerry: U.S. Action Against Syria Would Be ‘Unbelievably Small’

Secretary of State John Kerry makes a statement about Syria at the State Department in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. Kerry said the U.S. knows, based on intelligence, that the Syrian regime carefully prepared fo... Secretary of State John Kerry makes a statement about Syria at the State Department in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. Kerry said the U.S. knows, based on intelligence, that the Syrian regime carefully prepared for days to launch a chemical weapons attack. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) MORE LESS
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Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that limited missile strikes the United States were planning against Syria would constitute an “unbelievably small” attack.

“We will be able to hold [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad accountable without engaging in troops on the ground or any other prolonged kind of effort in a very limited, very targeted, short-term effort that degrades his capacity to deliver chemical weapons without assuming responsibility for Syria’s civil war,” Kerry said at a press conference in London, as quoted by the Guardian. “That is exactly what we are talking about doing – unbelievably small, limited kind of effort.”

Kerry also suggested that Assad could avoid a U.S. attack altogether if he were to turn any chemical weapons he may possess over to the international community within the next week, but acknowledged that scenario would be highly unlikely.

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