Eight nations have stepped up provide arms to the Kurdish peshmerga forces in Iraq, including Albania, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK.
But putting together a coalition for any potential military action in Syria is a bigger challenge, chiefly due to domestic political concerns.
鈥淚t鈥檚 why I have conversations with my European colleagues,鈥� Dempsey said, 鈥渨hich I think is actually more threatened [by IS] in the near term than we are.鈥�
That said, he added, the US must also play a 鈥渓eadership role, to build coalitions, to provide the unique capabilities that we can provide 鈥� but not necessarily all of the capabilities 鈥� to work through this.鈥�
In the meantime, the Pentagon has asked Congress for $500 million to move forward on 鈥渁 train-and-equip program for a moderate Syrian opposition,鈥� Kirby says. 鈥淲e hope to get that authorized and appropriated for fiscal year 鈥�15, which is coming up here pretty soon.鈥�
