U.S. Sends Mixed Signals on Syria Buffer Zone

Turkey’s Push for Buffer Area for Refugees Along Syrian Border Is Backed by France; Americans Offer Varied Messages
By Dion Nissenbaum in Washington, Ayla Albayrak in Yatirtepe, Turkey, and
Nour Malas in Beirut
The U.S. and its allies raised the possibility of setting up a safe zone for refugees along the Syrian-Turkish border—a proposal that the government in Ankara has been pushing heavily.

But U.S. defense and White House officials just as quickly cast doubt on the idea. Though Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday said the creation of a buffer zone is “worth looking at very closely,” Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Defense Department press secretary, said a buffer zone “is not now on the table as a military option that we…

http://online.wsj.com/articles/turkey-moves-to-curb-protests-over-government-refusal-to-intervene-in-syria-1412768164