Syria buffer zone not yet to be considered by Pentagon

The idea of a buffer zone along the Syrian border to protect displaced people “is not something that is under consideration right now,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on Wednesday, while a Pentagon spokesman said the idea was not under active consideration “as a military option.” The remark at the White House, made during a briefing in response to a question, was different from the response to the issue earlier in the day by Secretary of State John Kerry, who said such an idea was “worth looking at very, very closely.” During a separate Defense Department briefing, Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, also was asked about the idea.

“It is now not on the table as a military option that we are considering,” Kirby said. “That said, it is a topic of continued discussion. So I have nothing new to announce with respect to their (the Turks) desire for a buffer zone.