The United States may be heading toward military support of rebels in Syria, CNN is reporting.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the deployment of 200 additional troops to Jordan. The troops will work with the Jordanians to "improve readiness and prepare for a number of scenarios."
The deployment will include communications and intelligence specialists who help the Jordanians "be ready for military action," a Defense Department official said.
Hagel warned the officials that direct military action with Syria could be costly.
"It could embroil the United States in a significant, lengthy and uncertain military commitment," he said.
The troops being sent to Jordan are from the 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas.
The U.S. already had Patriot missile batteries in Turkey and dozens of troops already in Jordan, the Los Angeles Times is reporting.
This would be the first possible step toward direct military action by the Pentagon.
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Political News
June 19, 2026 16:46 ET Major central banks continued to dominate the economic news flow this week too, led by the Federal Reserve, as they announced their latest policy decisions. The Federal Reserve policy session was in focus as it was the first to be led by the new chief Kevin Warsh. In Europe, central banks of the U.K. and Switzerland announced their rate decisions. In Asia, the Bank of Japan drew attention for its policy moves, while data out of China threw some light on the state of the economy.