According to the New York Times, the Obama administration authorized surveillance flights over Syrian airspace over the weekend. Defense officials stated Monday evening that the US military is sending both manned and unmanned (drones) surveillance flights over Syrian territory. The drones will also be joined by U-2 spy planes.

Interestingly enough, the New York Times admits that the surveillance flights are the "precursor to potential airstrikes" in its own report on August 25, "Obama Authorizes Air Surveillance Of ISIS In Syria."

In yet another example of imperialist arrogance and lack of respect for Syria and the rest of the world, the administration stated that it did not intend to notify the Assad government of the surveillance flights.

As Mark Landler and Helen Cooper wrote for the New York Times. "The flights are a significant step toward direct American military action in Syria, an intervention that could alter the battlefield in the nation's three-year civil war."