Our only hope not to get dragged into a war we have no business being in is for the CIA to be honest in its assessment of the jihadist takeover of the rebel forces on the ground, then again, it’s possible even that won’t stop Obama from authorizing weapons shipments.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration began discussing Monday whether the Assad regime’s rapid military advance across the heart of Syria necessitates a drastic U.S. response, with officials saying a decision on arming beleaguered rebels could happen later this week.

Top aides from the State and Defense Departments, the CIA and other agencies were gathering for a “deputies meeting” at the White House on Monday afternoon. They seek to lay the groundwork for a meeting that President Barack Obama will hold with his senior national security staff, planned for Wednesday, said U.S. officials, who weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the closed-doors talks and demanded anonymity.

Moved by the Assad regime’s rapid advance, officials say the administration could approve lethal aid for the rebels in the coming days. The president and his advisers also will weigh the merits of a less likely move to send in U.S. airpower to enforce a no-fly zone over the nation wracked by civil war, officials said.

The White House meetings are taking place as Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government forces are apparently poised for an attack on the key city of Homs, which could cut off Syria’s armed opposition from the south of the country. As many as 5,000 Hezbollah fighters are now in Syria, officials believe, helping the regime press on with its campaign after capturing the town of Qusair near the Lebanese border last week.