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July 18, 2013 7:15 PM

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# U.S. military prepares for potential chemical weapons in Syria

By
  David Martin

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(CBS News) FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- On Thursday, Secretary of State John Kerry met with Syrians who've fled the two-year-old civil war. He visited a sprawling refugee camp in Jordan that holds 115,000 refugees. Some pleaded with Kerry for U.S. military intervention in the war between rebels and the dictatorship of Bashar Assad.

Members of the 82nd Airborne division are training to find and secure potential chemical weapons in Syria.

/ CBS News

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, told a Senate panel Thursday that he has military options for Syria -- should the president ever give the order. That order might come if Assad's chemical weapon stockpiles are in danger of falling into the wrong hands. U.S. troops are training for that, and we went along.

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About 1,500 paratroopers dropped out of the night sky from an altitude of just 800 feet, bringing with them nearly 190,000 pounds of equipment. They were the first of some 4,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division parachuting into an exercise designed in part to prepare for the worst in Syria.

After seizing an airfield in the woods of North Carolina, they launched a helicopter assault on a compound where, for purposes of this exercise, chemical agents were believed to be stored. Their mission: get to the chemicals before they fall into the hands of terrorists who would use them against Americans.

Maj. Gen. John Nicholson is commander of the 82nd. "As we look at the evolving situation -- Syria and other places around the world -- we're preparing to deal with the reality of securing chemical weapons," he said.

Maj. Gen. John Nicholson, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, said as the situation is evolving in Syria and in other countries, that his troops are preparing to deal with the reality of securing chemical weapons.

/ CBS News

In one exercise, they found one of the components for the deadly nerve agent VX.

So how do chemical weapons change the operation?

"Chemical weapons are not something we've encountered in the last ten years of counterinsurgency," explained Nicholson. "So there's many dimensions to the issue of securing chemical stockpiles that we're working through right now."

Nicholson acknowledges that chemical weapons make it a more dangerous situation. "We want to minimize the risk to our paratroopers ... and then how do we deal with the potential hazards to the locals in that area, to the civilians," he said.

The paratroopers would keep everybody else away until experts arrived to decontaminate the site and arrange for the disposal of the chemicals.

Asked if he has special units trained and equipped to handle chemical weapons, Nicholson replied: "We do in the United States Army and they're out here training with us right now," he said.

It's been a decade since U.S. forces went into Iraq looking for chemical weapons. They didn't find any, but the threat is back -- this time in Syria. If U.S. forces are ever sent on another chemical weapons hunt, it will be the paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne.

© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

- David Martin

  David Martin is CBS News' National Security Correspondent.

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by carlloeber July 19, 2013 3:21 AM EDT
  I have been to Aleppo and I also have been ashamed of President Obama for 826 days watching mass
  murder by the Hitlerisque dictator there .. I love the Syrian people .. I have never met better people
  anywhere .. they deserve every right which our Declaration of Independence proclaims is the right of
  every person and people .. I applaud John McCain's similar beliefs and actions .. thank you .. Can there be
  a Senate or House vote to get necessary help to the Syrian people included no fly zone and kenetic
  attacks ?
  Reply to this comment

by Sunny12000 July 19, 2013 3:06 AM EDT
  Oh puhlease. This is an exercise in futility.
  Do you think the weapons are going to be in one spot? 50 spots? 1000 spots?
  Now that Assad sees the plan he won't keep them in one spot and will keep them moving.
  Our little proxy war on Syria is nothing short of a crime.We are as guilty as anyone for the thousands who have died because of U.S. supporting these Islamic terrorist. I am truly ashamed for the first time in my life to be an American.
  Obama and McCain should be brought up on charges for aiding terrorists.
  We should let Syrians decide their fate, not fund foreign terrorists to tear the country apart.
  Reply to this comment

by Harron12 July 19, 2013 3:01 AM EDT
  This is such bull ****, the CIA runs al Qaida in Syria same as Libya , you say the chemical weapons risk falling into the wrong hands, exactly who's hand? Obama is arming al Qaida in Syria , you are insulting the intelligence of the American people. Where are the true American patriots instead of these coward generals? Bring the troops home! This is SICK! No wonder you are loosing viewers, you are now trying to brain wash/prep the American people for boots on the ground in Syria, this is mad! The elite are intent on destroying America, so sad! And how do you have a conscious repeating propaganda! Goebells would be proud!
  Reply to this comment

by decotoguy July 19, 2013 2:20 AM EDT
  I Encourage every American man and woman to join the Military
  and be part of the multinational counterinsurgency mission,
  and SAVE America from,
  1)dictator Bashar Assad?
  2)Syrians?
  3)rebels?
  4)smallpox?
  5)Russia?
  What ever,who cares,just go out there and do something.
  (die,that would work for me)
  Reply to this comment

by felosi July 19, 2013 1:18 AM EDT
  I cant believe so many are manipulated by this nonsense. Another petrodollar war is all this is. And if the US gets involved this will be much worse then Iraq, they will have to fight both sides. The US and the FSA are the bad guys in this equation. There has been yet any evidence at all that assad was this brutal dictator. His people love him and he was in the progress of govt reform when all this started. This is nothing but a proxy war on Iran. I seriously hope Russia gets involved and kicks the US out of there if this happens.
  Reply to this comment

by MacHesney July 18, 2013 11:39 PM EDT
  It is SIMPLE regarding the existence of Assad's chemical weapons.
  Assad himself confirmed he still has the weapons other countries sold him.
  The sale of 200 tons of chemical weapons is no secret.
  Israel thwarted two attempts to send his Terrorist buddies Hezbollah chemical weapons.
  I believe Assad will reward the Hezbollah fanatics roaming Syria with some of his prized chemical weapons.
  Reply to this comment

by NotLobamatomized July 18, 2013 11:26 PM EDT
  If obama wants to secure WMD in Syria, he better do it fast before they moved and hide it elsewhere, making him look liked a liar.
  Reply to this comment

by quincytodd July 18, 2013 10:45 PM EDT
  It appears that Barack Obama is going to drag us into another useless and unnecessary war of his! He already has more blood on his hands than all the members of the Chicago mob both past and present put together. He is totally devoid of any moral principles whatsoever and more blood will be spilled!
  Reply to this comment

by joe-greene July 18, 2013 9:53 PM EDT
  Seriously? This program is designed to get DC around the fact that the public isn't buying the backing of the Islamic extremists in overthrowing yet another, mid-east county. So, we will invade under this far fetched pretense!
  Reply to this comment

by lami987 July 18, 2013 9:00 PM EDT
  Suppy weapons for Syrian rebel is one thing but send our troops in is definitely the wrong thing to do.
  Reply to this comment

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