A group of United States Marines is taking part in the yearly military exercise known as "Eager Lion" in Jordan, a country that borders Syria. Just yesterday, President Obama said he would increase military aid to Syrian rebels as a consequence of the nation using chemical weapons on its own people, according to the Associated Press.
Now, to be clear, Eager Lion has been planned for months. It's an annual partnership exercise between the United States and Jordan. There are more than 8,000 troops from 19 countries taking part in Eager Lion.
According to the Pentagon, Eager Lion is...
...designed to strengthen military-to-military relationships and enhance regional security and stability by responding to modern-day security scenarios.
But Eager Lion does come at time when debate is heating up in the United States over how -or if- our military should get involved in the Syrian Civil War.
For instance, Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham are calling on Obama to implement a no-fly zone over Syria. McCain told CNN today:
“This isn’t just a bunch of demonstrators being beaten up. This a regional conflict. It spilled over … Jordan is destabilized, Lebanon is about to erupt into sectarian violence, jihadists are falling in from all over the Middle East. This is erupting."
What do YOU think about the United States military getting involved in Syria's conflict? Have your say in our comments section!
Here's some video, courtesy of the Navy, of your Marines and Sailors in action during Eager Lion 2013:
