President Obama said he intends to address the nation on Tuesday evening on Syria as senior Administration officials lobbied over the weekend at home and abroad to garner support for a US-led military strike against the Syrian regime. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday in Paris Saudi Arabia supports a US-led strike. He said more nations would be coming forward in the next day or so expressing public support. Obama said in his weekly address on Saturday the United States “has presented a powerful case to the world that the Syrian government was responsible” for the chemical weapons attack last month in Damascus. Appearing on CBS News’ Face the Nation on Sept. 8, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough conceded that the Administration lacks “irrefutable, beyond-a-reasonable-doubt evidence” tying the attack to Syrian President Bashar al Assad, but argued for a limited attack to hold “a dictator” accountable. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Pentagon is now preparing for a more intense strike than originally planned. And, German intelligence does not think Assad personally ordered the attack, reported The Guardian. (See also Eleven Nations Publically Condemn Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria.)
The Air Force's new Aircraft Readiness Unit will maintain and provide Collaborative Combat Aircraft for operations, but won’t serve as a “schoolhouse” teaching fighter pilots how to manage these escort drones.