The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a Syrian opposition group that broke away from al-Qaeda and has seized large areas of Iraq and northern Syria, has announced a new caliphate and formally declared the creation of an Islamic state in the territory under its control. Last week, the Obama administration sought Congress's authorization to train and equip Syrian rebels to the sum of $500 million dollars. This would also mean that the United States would knowingly be sending funds to al Qaeda and its affiliates. The administration claims that the funds will only go to vetted "moderate" opposition fighters who are fighting both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the radical extremists of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). So, in other words, the administration that was caught completely by surprise with ISIS's rise, believes that they are capable of determining who is and who isn't a "moderate" Syrian rebel. ...(Read Full Post)