“On one side of the divided national security community is the State Department and intelligence agencies, which are pushing for a greater response in Syria, especially to the ongoing Russian-led assault in eastern Aleppo … On the other side is a Pentagon arguing that any kind of intervention is too risky, backed by a White House that embraces any argument for not escalating U.S. involvement in Syria during the remaining four months of the administration.” In the meantime, is Putin getting away with murder in Syria?

+ The US has threatened to call off talks with Russia, and send more weapons to rebels.

+ John McCain and Lindsey Graham mocked the threat to call off talks: “We can only imagine that having heard the news, Vladimir Putin has called off his bear hunt and is rushing back to the Kremlin to call off Russian airstrikes on hospitals, schools, and humanitarian aid convoys around Aleppo.”