Dempsey: Premature to intervene in Syria Gen. Martin Dempsey, shown in Jerusalem Jan. 20, 2012. WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- It would be premature to think of arming opposition forces in Syria, America's top military official said. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Sunday on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS the United States first needs a clearer picture of the Syrian opposition. "I think it's premature to take a decision to arm the opposition movement in Syria because I would challenge anyone to clearly identify for me the opposition movement in Syria at this point," the general said. In a recent open letter to the administration of President Barack Obama, several U.S. conservatives asked for immediate action against the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad for its crackdown on the country's pro-democracy uprising. They suggested "self-defense aid" to an armed opposition led by defected government troops. Dempsey, familiar with the region after two tours of duty in Iraq, said Syria is "an arena right now for all of the various interests to play out," including Turkey, Sunni and Shiite Muslim powers, Saudi Arabia and Iran, Syria's leading ally, CNN reported. "And until we're a lot clearer about, you know, who they are and what they are, I think it would be premature to talk about arming them," Dempsey said. The U.S. Defense Department reported on its Web site the general also said Israel has the capability to strike Iran and probably delay it from achieving a nuclear weapons status for a couple of years. "But some of the targets are probably beyond their reach, and of course that's what concerns them," he said. Dempsey said U.S. officials have told the Israelis "it's not prudent at this point to decide to attack Iran." We also know, or believe we know, that the Iranian regime has not decided that they will embark on the efforts to weaponize their nuclear capability. He said economic sanctions against Iran are beginning to have an effect.