Syria: The rhetoric and the repercussions

We examine the impact a limited foreign intervention will have across Syria's volatile borders.

Barack Obama, the US president, has described the use of chemical weapons in Syria as a "challenge to the world". ...

Meir Javendanfar, an Israeli Middle East analyst:

"I think the chances of a Syrian retaliation against Israel is relatively low. I think ... al-Assad will try to contain the fight because if he takes on Israel as well, it will become engulfed in two fronts, one at home and one from Israel and it's bad enough that the Americans will be attacking."

Gilbert Achcar, a professor of international relations at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London:

"It all depends on what is targeted... The question is how limited it is. If we are speaking of just symbolic gestures, the consequences will be very very limited... But if for instance there’s targeting of the Syrian air force capability, this will have a significant impact on the balance of forces within Syria itself."

Pavel Felgenhauer, a Russian defence analyst:

"The rhetoric in Moscow has been stepped up. Today the Russian foreign ministry named the possible American strike on Syria 'blatant aggression' and Russian president told journalists .... and Russia says it's totally opposed, ... it was a provocation, that the Assad regime did not use chemical weapons .... Russia wants to keep the Assad regime."

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