President Obama has asked Congress to appropriate $500 million to train and arm Syrian opposition forces who are battling embattled President Bashar al-Assad. Given all the concerns about mixed loyalties in the complex, intertwined struggles there and elsewhere in the Middle East, the White House said the support would go to "appropriately vetted" members of the opposition.
While reiterating that it did not think there was a military solution to the country's four-year-old civil war, the White House said in a statement that the request "marks another step toward helping the Syrian people defend themselves against regime attacks, push back against the growing number of extremists like ISIS, who find safe haven in the chaos."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Harriet Tubman made a general 161 years after raidSpeed Read She was the first woman to oversee an American military action during a time of war
-
Chappell Roan is a new kind of boundary-setting celebrityIn the Spotlight She's calling out fans and the media for invasive behavior
-
Saudi crown prince slams Israeli 'genocide' in GazaSpeed Read Mohammed bin Salman has condemned Israel’s actions
-
British warship repels 'largest Houthi attack to date' in the Red SeaSpeed read Western allies warn of military response to Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels if attacks on ships continue
-
Houthi rebels claim Red Sea ship attacksspeed read Iran-backed Yemeni group vows to escalate aggression towards Israel-linked vessels in revenge for Gaza war
-
Israel plans next phase of Gaza war as first hostages releasedSpeed read After four-day ceasefire 'we will not stop' until destruction of Hamas, says Israel
-
Mob storms Russian airport 'looking for Jews'Speed Read Plane from Israel surrounded by rioters chanting antisemitic slogans after landing in Russia's Dagestan region
-
Tuberville's military promotions block is upending lives, combat readiness, 3 military branch chiefs saySpeed Read
-
Ukraine's counteroffensive is making incremental gains. Does it matter in the broader war?Speed Read
-
US commissions first-ever Navy ship in a foreign portSpeed Read
-
British spy chief, Wagner video suggest Prigozhin is alive and freely 'floating around'Speed Read
