**FILE** Syrian security forces hold machine guns and surround anti-Syrian regime mourners ... more >The Pentagon on Thursday said it was not providing any type of military training, after The New York Times reported that the U.S. was training Syrian rebels.
Asked whether U.S. service members or military contractors are training Syrian rebels, Pentagon press secretary George Little said, “Not to my knowledge.”
“We’re reviewing every possible option. Our policy remains the same, it’s a policy of nonlethal assistance of the opposition,” Mr. Little told reporters at the Pentagon.
The Obama administration said Thursday that it will provide the Syrian opposition with an additional $60 million in assistance and will for the first time provide nonlethal aid like food and medical supplies directly to rebels battling to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Mr. Little stressed that the assistance does not include “lethal aid of any kind of this time.”
“We are reviewing every possible option that could help end the violence and accelerate a political transition in Syria,” the spokoesman said. “And we are focusing our efforts on helping the political opposition become stronger … more cohesive and more organized.”
The New York Times reported Thursday that the U.S. is helping to train Syrian rebels at a base in the region.
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Kristina Wong is a national security reporter for The Washington Times, covering defense, foreign policy and intelligence affairs. She can be reached at kwong@washingtontimes.com.
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