Pentagon: US training of Syrian rebels could begin in spring
The US military has made progress in its effort to identify moderate Syrian rebels to train for the fight against Islamic State militants and a US training mission could begin this spring, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, welcomed statements from Ankara indicating Turkey and the United States plan to conclude a deal this month on training and equipping moderate Syrian rebels, part of a US-led campaign to counter Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria.
Kirby said Major General Michael Nagata, commander of US special operations forces in the Middle East, was in the process of talking with Syrian opposition groups in an effort to identify individual recruits to train and equip.
