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Syrian Measures to Mitigate the Effects of a U.S. Strike
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Jeffrey White - The Assad regime is instituting passive defensive measures to protect high-value assets and forces from outside military action. Such measures include dispersing key units, moving headquarters to densely populated civilian areas, and concealing weapons systems. By the time a U.S. strike takes place - if it actually does - the Syrian regime will have had several weeks to prepare its defenses. The regime likely hopes that passive defensive measures can reduce the direct effects of a strike, make the U.S. appear weak and ineffectual, and produce civilian casualties and other collateral damage that could be exploited for propaganda purposes. Although passive defensive measures cannot defeat a U.S. strike, they could reduce its effectiveness and complicate its execution. The writer, a defense fellow at The Washington Institute, is a former senior defense intelligence officer.