"Now are we ready to authorize that?" Kerry asked a Senate panel today, ABC News reported.
Although a ceasefire is planned for this coming Saturday, there are growing calls within Washington for a so-called "Plan-B:" options for military action if the truce fails. Many Republicans, including Donald Trump, are calling for a "safe zone" in northern Syria to protect the increasing number of displaced people.
Kerry said today that creating a safe zone isn't as simple as it sounds. In addition to controlling the airspace, Kerry said, a large troop presence would be required to shield the population from ISIS attacks on the ground.
"All this talk about safe zones does not go through the process of what it really means," Kerry said.
"Our Pentagon estimates that to have a true safe zone in the north of the country you may have upwards of fifteen to thirty thousand troops. Now are we ready to authorize that? Are we ready to put them on the ground?"
Aside from the inherent physical and political risks of putting a large number of U.S. troops on the ground inside Syria, the U.S. worries about potential conflicts with Russia, which is also conducting an aerial bombing campaign over Syria. Creating a no-fly zone would most likely mean the U.S. would have to enforce that rule against Russian jets – a potentially dangerous scenario.
Nevertheless, Kerry said that the U.S. is considering other options if a ceasefire can't be reached inside Syria.
