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White House Considers Arming Syrian Kurds Against ISIS

Could harm relations with Turkey.

The White House is considering a new military strategy that would arm Syrian Kurdish fighters in the battle against ISIS, a move that could ramp up already fragile tensions between the U.S. and Turkey. The National Security Council staff is discussing the pros and cons of the decision, and President Obama has reportedly told his aides to look at the proposal in an effort to enhance the offensive against the Islamic State terror group. U.S. commanders allegedly see Syrian Kurds as the best ground partner in the battle against ISIS, and arming them directly would assist in a coming assault on Raqqa, ISIS’s stronghold. But tense relations already exist with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who believes Syrian Kurdish fighters are a main enemy in the conflict.