Congress Approves Plan to Train Syrian Armed Groups

Local Editor

Congress overwhelmingly passed a new military spending bill that will allow the Pentagon to carry out its budding plan to arm and train armed groups in Syria as part of the military campaign against the "ISIL" militants.
Additionally, the bill allocates a total of $577 billion for overall military spending - a number that includes $64 billion in funding for overseas war ventures in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. Also included is a one percent pay rise for military troops.

Senators passed the bill, which establishes military spending levels for fiscal year 2015, by a vote of 89-11. Since the House of Representatives passed the same measure last week, it now heads to President Barack Obama for his signature.

One of the most significant portions of the bill is a two-year authorization for the training of armed groups in Syria, with the United States hoping they can become capable enough to combat the "ISIL" fighters within the country. 

Training won't be limited to Syrian armed groups, though, as the military bill approves of further training to Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

"American air power had changed the momentum on the ground somewhat and given moderates in the region an opportunity to regroup, but "ISIL" cannot be defeated without an opposing force to take the fight to it on the ground," Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

The Pentagon said in September that it may need to train up to 15,000 to effectively fight "ISIL".

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team



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