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It's Wednesday, 18 December. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. Okay, it's the late afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed.

First, the leader of the rebel opposition that overthrew Syria's Assad regime has announced

plans to disband their militant militias and form a new national army, as they reportedly

work to consolidate their power and, at least on paper, distance themselves from their radical

past.

Then, the U.S. Justice Department has charged two Iranian nationals in connection with a fatal

drone strike in Jordan earlier this year that

killed three U.S. service members and injured dozens more. But first, our afternoon spotlight.

We'll begin with an update out of Syria, where the new regime replacing deposed dictator Assad

is beginning to take shape. After establishing a transitional government in the immediate wake of Assad's

ouster, the rebels are now moving to further consolidate their power and establish institutions

...