• Research
  • Politika
  • About
Carnegie Russia Eurasia center logoCarnegie lettermark logo
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Mario Abou Zeid",
    "Mike Lyons",
    "Lama Fakih"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center",
  "programAffiliation": "MEP",
  "programs": [
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Levant",
    "Syria",
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Security"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Will Training Moderate Syrian Rebels Work Against ISIL?

Four years into the conflict in Syria, the United States is screening opposition fighters for the first time to boost war against the Islamic State.

Link Copied
By Mario Abou Zeid, Mike Lyons, Lama Fakih
Published on Feb 20, 2015

Source: Al Jazeera Inside Story

The US has screened about 1,200 moderate Syrian rebels to be trained and equipped to battle ISIL in Syria. The U.S. Congress has authorised 500 million dollars to train 5,000 opposition fighters over the next year.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have offered to host training camps, with work expected to get under way as early as March or April.

While their focus is clear, the new U.S. Defence Secretary Ashton Carter also sees other potential benefits Addressing the Congress, he said: “The forces that we're supporting there have first and foremost the job...of defeating ISIL. But I believe that they also need to be creating the conditions for the removal of Assad.”

So, nearly four years into the conflict, with a death toll estimated by the U.N. at more than 220,000, what are the U.S. priorities in Syria, and where do its international allies stand?

This interview was originally aired on Al Jazeera Inside Story.

About the Authors

Mario Abou Zeid

Former Research Analyst, Middle East Center

Abou Zeid was a research analyst at the Carnegie Middle East Center, where his work focuses on political developments in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran.

Mike Lyons

Lama Fakih

Lama Fakih is Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa director and the director of the Beirut office.

Authors

Mario Abou Zeid
Former Research Analyst, Middle East Center
Mario Abou Zeid
Mike Lyons
Lama Fakih

Lama Fakih is Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa director and the director of the Beirut office.

Lama Fakih
Political ReformSecurityLevantSyriaMiddle East

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Can the Disparate Threads of Ukraine Peace Talks Be Woven Together?

    Putin is stalling, waiting for a breakthrough on the front lines or a grand bargain in which Trump will give him something more than Ukraine in exchange for concessions on Ukraine. And if that doesn’t happen, the conflict could be expanded beyond Ukraine.

      Alexander Baunov

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Notes From Kyiv: Is Ukraine Preparing for Elections?

    As discussions about settlement and elections move from speculation to preparation, Kyiv will have to manage not only the battlefield, but also the terms of political transition. The thaw will not resolve underlying tensions; it will only expose them more clearly.

      Balázs Jarábik

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Once Neutral on the Ukraine War, Arab States Increasingly Favor Moscow

    Disillusioned with the West over Gaza, Arab countries are not only trading more with Russia; they are also more willing to criticize Kyiv.  

      Ruslan Suleymanov

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    How Will the Loss of Starlink and Telegram Impact Russia’s Military?

    With the blocking of Starlink terminals and restriction of access to Telegram, Russian troops in Ukraine have suffered a double technological blow. But neither service is irreplaceable.

      Maria Kolomychenko

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Signs of an Imminent End to the Ukraine War Are Deceptive

    The main source of Russian aggression is a profound mistrust of the West and the firm belief that it intends to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia. As long as this fear persists, the war will not end.

      Tatiana Stanovaya

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Carnegie Russia Eurasia logo, white
  • Research
  • Politika
  • About
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.