(FEDERALJACK) President Barack Obama asked Congress on Thursday for $500 million to arm Syrian rebels. The White House believes the assistance is necessary so they may defeat the jihadist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, and also says any groups that receive weapons will be carefully vetted to ensure they do not fall into the hands of radicals. Skepticism was immediately raised, however, as there is a long record of US arms winding of in the possession of those they were not intended for.
