ARMAGEDDON BATTLEPLAN: HOW TO STRENGTHEN ISIS

In Syria, new US-backed alliance exists in name only

An ISIS fighter firing his weapon during a battle against Syrian government troops in the village of Mahin, ce... Read More

EIN EISSA, Syria: Weeks after the Obama administration canceled a failed Pentagon program to train and arm Syrian rebels to combat the Islamic State, US officials announced a new effort to equip newly named ground forces in Syria to fight the jihadis.But 10 days of interviews and front-line visits across northern Syria with many of the forces in the alliance made clear that so far it exists in name only, and that the political and logistical challenges it faces are daunting.