But pulling together a ground force of sufficient size means convincing more Sunni Arabs to join the fight and overcoming political obstacles that so far have blocked the creation of a unified force, analysts and military officials say.
“We are counting on these local forces to carry out the fighting,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said Monday.
He said the additional advisers, who are mostly special operations forces, would seek new partners in Syria to fight the Islamic State, also called ISIL or ISIS. The special forces are experienced in training and supporting foreign armies or irregular forces.
The U.S. military currently supports about 30,000 local fighters, called the Syrian Defense Force. About 60% of the force is Kurdish, and the remainder are Sunni Arabs and other groups.
