Ash Carter: “The United States will not let Russia determine our strategy nor cooperate in efforts that run counter United States…”

"Up-or-out" isn't broken--in fact, it's an essential and highly successful system--but it's also not perfect.

What he's trying to do is exactly what you're calling attention to, namely to end the humanitarian disaster occasioned by the civil war in Syria.

The goal of United States policy in Syria is to end the Syrian war--civil war.

The United States will not ignore attempts to interfere with our democratic processes.