President Obama on Monday reiterated his position that the US is not interested in setting up a no-fly zone or safe zone on the Turkish border with Syria, an idea floated by several lawmakers and Turkish officials. Obama, during a press conference at the G20 Summit in Turkey, said that while those calling for a no-fly zone or safe zone “are well meaning,” those options are not on the table for the US at this time. A safe zone would require extensive planning and discussion, and it has been determined it would be counterproductive. “Who would come in, who could come out of that safe zone; how would it work; would it become a magnet for further terrorist attacks; and how many personnel would be required, and how would it end? There’s a whole set of questions that have to be answered there,” Obama said. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said last week he is pushing for a no-fly zone, and that allies are warming to the idea. Coalition spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren, however, said on Nov. 13 that it is “not the right time for a safe zone or a no-fly zone.” (See also Senators Push for Syria No-Fly Zone.)
With a little more than a week to go before the continuing resolution funding the federal government expires, lawmakers in Congress have still yet to reach an agreement on spending—and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall is warning that dozens of programs and projects could be affected if no long-term agreement…