Policy

Panetta Rejects Syrian No-Fly Zone

The Secretary of Defense says that there are no plans for a no-fly zone, despite calls from the rebels for one to be put in place.

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US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta says plans to set up a no-fly zone over parts of Syria are "not on the front burner", despite persistent calls from Syrian rebel forces that they need the added protection from escalating regime airstrikes.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Panetta said he is confident the US could successfully enforce a no-fly zone over Syria, but doing so would require a "major, major policy decision" that has not yet been made.