| USA TODAY | - |
President Obama says he is ready to authorize airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Syria -- but don't expect anybody in authority to say when that might happen.
David Jackson, USA TODAY Could be days. Could be weeks. Could be months.
"It will be at a time and a place of our own choosing," said national security adviser Susan Rice on Friday.
All we know for sure is that, on Sept. 10, Obama told the nation: "I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are -- that means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL (the Islamic State) in Syria, as well as Iraq."
In outlining his plan, Obama said the U.S. will train rebels in Syria to handle the ground war against the Islamic State.
Some news reports have suggested that airstrikes might not start until after the rebels are trained -- a process that could take months.
Strikes at Syria could also trigger criticism from other countries. Russia, an ally of Syria, has called the idea a potential violation of Syrian sovereignty.
The Damascus government of Bashar Assad -- which the Obama administration would like to see overthrown, also by the rebels -- has also objected to the prospect of U.S. airstrikes against the Islamic State within their country would be violation of their sovereignty.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said any strikes in Syria "will be done at a time and place that maximizes the strategic advantage of those strikes."
They will be done consistent with what Earnest called a core principle: "To deny a safe haven to individuals or organizations that are seeking to carry out acts of violence against American citizens, or the American homeland."
We might not know about airstrikes in Syria until bombs are actually dropped.
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