Obama is considering airstrikes and arms shipments to counter ISIS in Syria


President Obama's plan to "start going on some offense" against ISIS could include airstrikes in Syria, as well as direct assistance to rebel forces within the country who are opposed to the militant Sunni group.
Though the U.S. has launched more than 125 targeted strikes in Iraq, Obama is now considering a broader bombing campaign across the border, according to The New York Times. That would represent a sharp escalation in the nation's offensive against ISIS. Last month, Syrian President Bashar al Assad warned the U.S. that it would need his permission before conducting strikes inside the country.
At the same time, the administration is weighing a plan to "train and equip appropriately vetted Syrian opposition fighters," according to Politico, giving the U.S. a two-pronged attack. The U.S. has so far resisted arming rebel forces there because the many disparate factions form a tangled web of alliances.
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President Obama will deliver a prime time speech tonight outlining the specifics of his plan.
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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
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