U.S. Military Begins Training And Arming Syrian Rebels

Hosam Katan/Reuters

Daily Beast: U.S. Military Will Train, Arm Syrian Rebels

After a program run by the CIA failed, U.S. forces hope they can field a force to fight ISIS.

The U.S. military announced Thursday it had begun a controversial program to train “moderate” Syrian rebels to combat the self-proclaimed Islamic State, even as it still are sorting out how the United States can protect such troops once they land on the Syrian battlefield.

At a joint press conference, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. personnel had begun training 90 rebels who had been vetted and recruited months earlier. A second group of rebels will be trained in the next few weeks, creating the first U.S.-trained rebel company, Carter said.

They are among roughly 400 troops that the U.S. military has already vetted and recruited. Another 3,700 have expressed interest in joining the program, Defense officials have said.

More News On The U.S. Military Starting To Train (And Arm) Syrian Rebels

U.S. military starts training Syrian fighters to combat Islamic State -- Reuters
US trains Syrian rebels to take on Islamic State -- AFP
U.S. troops begin training Syrian rebels to fight ISIS -- CBS/AP
U.S. begins training Syrian rebel force -- Washington Post
U.S. Trains Syrian Rebels in Jordan to Fight ISIS -- NYT
US Begins Training of 'Moderate' Syrian Rebels to Fight ISIS -- Military.com
U.S. Starts New Training for Syrian Rebels -- WSJ
US training of Syrian rebels to begin this week -- Al Bawaba
US military 'training Syrian rebels' to counter IS group -- France 24
US begins training Syrian fighters in Jordan to tackle "Islamic State" -- Deutsche Welle
Pentagon Says U.S. Has Begun Training Syrians To Combat IS -- Radio Free Europe