Local Editor

Obama sent Congress a $500 million request Thursday for a Pentagon-run program that would significantly expand previous covert efforts to arm Syria militants.
White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden claimed the military assistance "marks another step toward helping the Syrian people defend themselves against "regime attacks", push back against the growing number of extremists like ISIL who find safe haven in the chaos, and take their future into their own hands by enhancing security and stability at local levels."

The Syria program is part of a broader, $65.8 billion overseas operations request that the administration sent to Capitol Hill Thursday.
The package includes $1 billion to help stabilize nations bordering Syria that are struggling with the effects of war. It also formalizes a request for a previously announced $1 billion to strengthen the US military presence in Central and Eastern Europe amid Russia's threatening moves in Ukraine.

Obama has ruled out sending US troops back into combat in Iraq. But he has dispatched nearly 600 US forces in and around Iraq to train local forces and secure the American Embassy in Baghdad and other US interests.
The White House has been hinting for weeks that Obama was preparing to step up assistance to the Syrian militants.

In a commencement speech at West Point on May 28, he said that by helping the militants, "we also push back against the growing number of extremists who find safe haven in the chaos."

Officials said the administration would coordinate with Congress and regional players on the specific types of training and assistance the US would provide the "opposition". One potential option would be to base US personnel in Jordan and conduct the training there.
The Senate Armed Services Committee already has approved a version of the sweeping policy bill authorizing the Military Department to provide "equipment, supplies, training and defense services" to elements of the Syrian opposition that have been screened. The Senate could act on the bill before its August recess.

In addition to the covert train-and-equip mission, the US also has provided nearly $287 million in nonlethal assistance to the armed groups.

The military program would be supplemented by $1 billion in assistance to Syria's neighbors - Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq - to help them deal with an influx of refugees and the threat of extremists spilling over their borders.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team