WASHINGTON The United States could make a decision as early as this week on whether to arm Syrian rebels, a U.S. official said on Monday.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the question of whether to arm rebels is on the agenda of White House meetings during the early part of this week.
The possible move by the United States to arm the rebels who are fighting President Bashar al-Assad's government forces, was first reported by the Associated Press late on Sunday.
(Reporting by Washington bureau; editing by Jackie Frank)
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE President Barack Obama flew to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Tuesday to visit a flood-ravaged neighborhood and meet with state officials to discuss how the federal government can best help the state recover.
WASHINGTON The number of regional Federal Reserve banks calling on the central bank to raise the rate it charges commercial banks for emergency loans rose to eight in July, minutes from the Fed's discount rate meeting released on Tuesday showed.
RIGA/ISTANBUL When U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Turkey in January, he struck a difficult balance between showing support for a NATO ally faced with multiple security threats while criticizing its record on free speech and dissent.