U.S. expects some familiar faces among Syria rebel recruits (Reuters)
The Pentagon has estimated that it can train 5,400 recruits in the first year and that up to 15,000 will be needed to retake areas of eastern Syria controlled by Islamic State. It hopes more training sites might allow training of more recruits.
They will face a thorough vetting, including psychological exams and gathering of biometric data, the official said. Candidates’ names would be run through U.S. databases and shared with regional allies for checks.