General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, said on Wednesday he was cautious about recommending armed intervention in Syria, concerned that ill-conceived action could turn the country into a failed state.
"Before I would recommend a military solution ... I would have to be convinced that the aftermath of the military option would not lead to a failed state in which the suffering would actually be worse," Dempsey said at a Polish air force base where U.S. pilots are holding joint exercises with their Polish counterparts.