AlQa'dah 2, 1434, Sep 8, 2013, SPA -- White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said Sunday the United States learned its lesson in Iraq and an attack on Syria wouldn't be extended, UPI reported. As Congress debates whether to approve President Barack Obama's call for a military strike against Syrian President Bashar Assad -- in retaliation for an Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack that killed more than 1,400 people -- McDonough said fears of an extended occupation should be put to rest. In an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," he said he understands the fear the United States might get "dragged into the middle of an ongoing civil war," but he said officials plan to "be very careful and very targeted and very limited in our engagement." "This is not Iraq or Afghanistan. This is not Libya," McDonough said. "This is not an extended air campaign. This is something that's targeted, limited and effective, so as to underscore that [Assad] should not think that he could get away with this again." McDonough said on CBS' "Face the Nation" that the United States "learned our lesson" in getting heavily involved in Iraq. A military strike on Syria wouldn't escalate into a nine-year war as Iraq did.
