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Obama asks Congress to 'ramp up' support for Syrian opposition

The White House is asking Congress to authorize the US military to train vetted Syrian rebel forces.
U.S. President Barack Obama arrives for the commencement ceremony at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, May 28, 2014. Obama's commencement address here is the first in a series of speeches that he and top advisers will use to explain U.S. foreign policy in the aftermath of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and lay out a broad vision for the rest of his presidency. 

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque  (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTR3R8N7

President Barack Obama is once again turning to Congress to approve a stepped-up US role in Syria, despite being rebuffed last year.

The president in his commencement address at West Point on Wednesday announced his desire to "work with Congress to ramp up support for those in the Syrian opposition who offer the best alternative to terrorists and a brutal dictator." He also asked lawmakers to approve a new $5 billion counterterrorism fund, aimed in part at combating Syrian extremists.

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