The US House of Representatives passed an annual defense bill on Dec. 4 that makes it clear that US allies will pick up a sizable part of the tab for President Barack Obama's plan to train and equip vetted rebels in Syria.
The National Defense Authorization Act permits the mission for the next two years but does not specify a maximum spending amount, even though Obama had asked for $500 million when he unveiled the plan in June. Committee sources say that's because there's enough money for now, after moving around existing funds and factoring in foreign contributions.
