Disclaimer: While the Line of Steel's official position is that Western governments should support opposition forces, our staff believes in the necessity of presenting both sides of a controversial debate to our audience. [quote]The Obama administration, famously skeptical about aiding Syrian revolutionaries, has proposed $500 million to be used for the training of “moderate” rebel forces. This announcement likely comes as a way to offset the growing power of the Islamic State, but even should the assistance be provided as proposed, the effects it will have are minimal. The “moderates” are demoralized, out-gunned, and out-funded while their leadership is splintered and rife with corruption. Though the Obama administration may not want to admit it yet, the “moderates” have, barring nothing short of a miracle, lost. If the Islamic State is as much of a threat as the Obama administration and the West describe it as, the unfortunate reality for Mr. Obama is that, in order to combat the Islamic State’s Syrian havens, he will need to reconsider his options; for the Free Syrian Army can not be a strong bulwark against the Islamic State.[/quote] This post was written by our very own DB5414. What do you think? Do you think that more or less assistance to the Syrian rebels is needed to push back the Islamic State? Any thoughts on anything discussed in the article or on anything relevant to the topic at hand?