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Congress may finally vote to arm Syrian rebels

A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of Sept. 15.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (L) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey hold a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, August 21, 2014. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY CONFLICT) - RTR43A8H

Congress may finally vote next week to arm Western-backed Syrian rebels, a year and a half after legislation to do just that was first filed.

After Saudi Arabia agreed last weekend to host a training operation for the Free Syrian Army, Obama administration officials turned up the pressure on lawmakers to take action. The White House says it can live without the extra $500 million it had previously requested for the train-and-equip mission for now, but it wants Congress to grant it the authority to start setting up the mission before lawmakers head out for the midterm elections.

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