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Obama Administration Should Clarify Syria Policy

The US objective should be to convene the Geneva Conference on Syria as soon as possible, not to provide an open-ended commitment to the Syrian rebels.
U.S. President Barack Obama salutes before boarding Marine One at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, July 5, 2013. Obama will fly to the presidential retreat, Camp David, in Maryland. REUTERS/Larry Downing  (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX11DYI
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The Washington Post reported this week that the House and Senate Permanent Select Committees on Intelligence have slowed the Obama administration’s efforts to provide arms to Syrian rebel forces.

The committees’ unease with the administration’s proposal includes whether US arms will fall into the hands of jihadist forces, whether the arms being discussed are too little, too late and whether what is being proposed is a slippery slope to deeper US involvement in Syria.

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