Obama Authorizes Airstrikes to Defend Syrian Rebels If Attacked
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President Barack Obama has authorized the use of air power to defend U.S.-trained Syrian rebels if they come under attack from terrorist groups or the Assad regime, deepening the U.S. role against Islamic State forces in Syria.
The broader U.S. rules of engagement, approved July 31, came after rebels fighting Islamic State were attacked by the al-Nusrah Front, an al-Qaeda offshoot, in northern Syria, a U.S. defense official said. The U.S. provided close air support to protect the rebels and quash the attack, he said.