Obama: U.S. Will Send 250 Additional Military Personnel To Syria

A member of the Kurdish internal security forces (known as the Asayish) inspects the Alaya prison in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli on April 22.

President Obama announced Monday that the U.S. will send up to 250 additional military personnel to Syria. The announcement signals a significant expansion of the American military presence in the country, from 50 personnel up to 300.

Still, it is not likely that this escalation indicates a large-scale intervention in Syria, where a fragile cease-fire has done little to slow violence. The partial truce, brokered by the U.S. and Russia in February, has not slowed attacks leveled by the regime of President Bashar Assad against rebel-held regions.