The Pentagon no longer will train and equip Syrian forces. Instead, the focus will shift on providing assistance to a “select group of vetted leaders and their units so that over time they can make a concerted push into the territory still controlled by ISIL [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant],” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Oct. 9. Emphasis will shift toward supporting friendly troops now engaging the Islamic State, and providing air support as well, a Pentagon spokesman said.