An expert thinks Obama's "arm the rebels" strategy in Syria could be a disaster

Political scientist Dr. Erica Borghard has spent years studying the pitfalls and benefits of "proxy wars" — in which one country wages war in another country indirectly, by arming, training, or otherwise supporting local armed groups. Her research has become especially relevant in the wake of Syria's civil war, in which a number of foreign countries are sponsoring parties to the conflict, and she has written about the dangers of arming rebel groups fighting against Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad.

I spoke to Borghard about the Obama administration's plan to arm...