From Washington, this is VOA News.
I'm David Byrd reporting.
The United States decides to stop training opposition Syrian rebels. The Obama administration is "pausing" and "evolving" a $500 million Pentagon-led program to train and equip rebels fighting Islamic State militants.
The operation will shift away from vetting moderate Syrian rebels and training them in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE (United Arab Emirates).
Instead, the program will provide air support and basic equipment and training to vetted opposition group leaders, according to the White House.
The Pentagon-led train and equip program had only trained a few dozen fighters -- much fewer than the original goal of thousands.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says Russia is taking the wrong approach in Syria by supporting embattled President Bashar al Assad.
Speaking in London, Mr. Carter said Russia is putting its troops and its citizens at risk by supporting the Syrian leader.
“By taking the side of Assad against all opponents in Syria, Russia has - as we have said repeatedly - made itself a target.”
The U.S. Defense Secretary said that by inflaming the kind of extremism represented by the Islamic State, Russia has suffered inside its own borders.
The 2015 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet for its "decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011."
The Nobel Prize committee announced the award in Oslo, Norway, on Friday.
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This is VOA News.
Words in This News
pausing – v. stopping for a time or temporarily
evolving – v. changing or developing slowly
shift – v. to move or cause to move to a different position
vetting – v. investigating someone carefully
basic – adj. relating to the most important part of something
according – transitive verb. bringing into agreement
dozen – n. a group of 12 people or things
original – adj. relating to the beginning
meanwhile - adv. at or during the same time
approach – n. a way of dealing with something
embattled – adj. involved in a battle or conflict
inflaming – v. causing someone or something to become angry or violent
contribution – n. the act of giving something or something given
pluralistic - adj. relating to the belief that different groups of people should work together
in the wake of – expression. as a result of
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