President Obama has authorized airstrikes to defend U.S.-trained Syrian rebels should they be attacked by Bashar al-Assad’s regime or ISIS in the region. The move, which was approved July 31, would deepen U.S. involvement in the fight against the terrorist group. The airstrikes remain limited for offensive operations against ISIS, but provide for defense measures for U.S. allies on the ground. The U.S.-trained rebels, numbering only about 60, have no stated goals of fighting Assad’s regime but rather are entirely focused on the threat of ISIS.
