The crisis in Syria deepened Monday with a report that United Nations weapons inspectors were fired on by snipers. As it did, the geopolitical stakes rose, making the prospect of a U.S. military intervention there no longer a question of "if" but rather one of "when." Secretary of State John Kerry vowed to hold the Syrian regime accountable, but intervening there may not be as simple as ordering airstrikes. Such attacks would require complex reinforcements, plus Syria has relatively strong air defenses. According to NBC News, any U.S. attack would likely use cruise missile strikes by TLAMs, or Tomahawk land attack missiles, fired from destroyers or submarines. But taking out Syria's chemical weapons stockpile would be strategically tricky, and dangerous. The best option for the U.S. would likely be to go after the delivery systems and command structures Syria uses to deploy its chemical weapons, according to NBC News.
