Obama administration considering using military to train Syrian rebels

The Obama administration is considering a plan to use U.S. military trainers to help increase the capabilities of the Syrian rebels.

The move would greatly expand the current CIA training being done quietly in Jordan, U.S. officials said.

If the US goes ahead with the plan, training the Syrian rebels would take place outside Syria, and one possible location would be Jordan, the Huffington Post reports.

It comes as the Obama administration prods Congress to authorize limited military strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government in response to a deadly chemical weapons attack on August 21st, in which thousands of civilians, including children were killed.

According to the report, the proposal to use the U.S. military to train the rebels would answer the demands of some lawmakers, including Senator John McCain, to do more to train and equip the Syrian opposition.

The CIA has been training select groups of rebels in Jordan on the use of communications equipment and some weapons provided by Gulf states, the report added.

The Pentagon already has at least 1,000 troops in Jordan, including trainers working with Jordanian forces.