Wall Street Journal: What Happens After We Strike The Syrians?

The Wall Street Journal is already quoting U.S. military officials on their plans to attack Syria:

“Pentagon officials said Wednesday that they have the ability to quickly strike the Assad regime if asked by the president. “We can strike the Syrian regime if we want to, but that’s not the question,” said one senior U.S. military official. “The question is what happens after we strike the Syrians?”

The U.S. military has hundreds of forces operating inside Syria, where they are setting up new bases and working with Syrian rebel forces fighting Islamic State. A U.S. strike against the Assad regime could trigger a military strike on American forces operating in northern Syria.

“You’ve got to war game out: We do something militarily and strike something of Assad’s, what does he then do?” the military official said. “Maybe I’ll lob a few missiles your way, kill a few Americans, then what happens? We obviously won’t stand for that.”

Russia is providing Mr. Assad with a sophisticated air defense system and Russian jets that would make it difficult for American pilots to enter Syrian airspace to strike the regime. But the U.S. could fire cruise missiles from outside Syria that would eliminate the immediate risk to American pilots. …”

Am I missing something?

Have we been attacked by Syria or the we being railroaded into another Middle Eastern war that we unequivocally rejected, or so we were led to believe, in the last presidential election?