The U.S. is sending 400 troops to train Syrian opposition fighters

(Image credit: Akram Saleh/Getty Images)

last updated 16 January 2015

The U.S. is sending about 400 troops to train moderate Syrian fighters, starting this spring, Pentagon spokeswoman Cmdr. Elissa Smith tells USA Today. The military trainers, plus hundreds more support personnel, will work at four locations in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar. Coalition partners will also contribute forces as well, Defense One reports, with a goal of training 5,400 Syrian fighters a year for three years.

The more moderate Syrian opposion has faced setbacks from both President Bashar al-Assad's army and Islamic State forces. Congress provided funding for the train-and-equip mission at the end of 2014.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.