Officials say securing Syria's chemical weapons could take tens of thousands of troops if Assad falls

08/17/12: Haaretz reports the United States and its allies are discussing a worst-case scenario that could require tens of thousands of ground troops to go into Syria to secure chemical and biological weapons sites following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government.  According to diplomatic officials, these secret discussions assume that all of Assad’s security forces will fall apart, leaving chemical and biological weapons sites in Syria vulnerable to pillaging.  The scenario also assumes these sites could not be secured or destroyed solely through aerial bombings, given health and environmental risks.  A US official said Washington still has no plans to put boots on the ground in Syria, but two diplomatic sources said as many as 50,000 or 60,000 ground forces may be needed if officials’ worst fears are realized, plus additional support forces.