Obama Administration Ends Pentagon Program to Train Syrian Rebels

[gilliam]

LONDON — The Obama administration has ended the Pentagon’s $500 million program to train and equip Syrian rebels, administration officials said on Friday, in an acknowledgment that the beleaguered program had failed to produce any kind of ground combat forces capable of taking on the Islamic State in Syria.

Pentagon officials were expected to officially announce the end of the program on Friday, as Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter leaves London after meetings with his British counterpart, Michael Fallon, about the continuing wars in Syria and Iraq.

“I wasn’t happy with the early efforts” of the program, Mr. Carter said during a news conference with Mr. Fallon. “So we have devised a number of different approaches.” Mr. Carter added, “I think you’ll be hearing from President Obama very shortly” on the program.

A senior Defense Department official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that there would no longer be any more recruiting of so-called moderate Syrian rebels to go through training programs in Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates. Instead, a much smaller training center would be set up in Turkey, where a small group of “enablers” — mostly leaders of opposition groups — would be taught operational maneuvers like how to call in airstrikes.

nytimes.com/2015/10/10/world/middleeast/pentagon-program-islamic-state-syria.html?smid=tw-bna&_r=2

 

[7_Sorrows]

that was $500 million down the drain!

 

[jimcav]

that was $500 million down the drain!

Oh, there’s a lot more waste to come.

FOX is reporting that the administration will now give “equipment packages” to friendly rebel groups, whoever these people are, which we all know will be another waste of money and completely ineffective, and perhaps the weapons will even find their way into ISIS hands.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Oh, there’s a lot more waste to come.

FOX is reporting that the administration will now give “equipment packages” to friendly rebel groups, whoever these people are, which we all know will be another waste of money and completely ineffective, and perhaps the weapons will even find their way into ISIS hands.

oh equipment packages! early Christmas I guess.

 

[Path_Finder]

4 U.S. Military Efforts on ISIS and Syria Yield Mixed Results
aina.org/news/20151009210441.htm

Those interested can read the article.

I did hear Obama say that what we would be doing is aiding Kurdish, Christian and Arab fighters for whatever that means.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Giving weapons to rebel groups means giving them to ISIS as those groups will surrender those weapons.

Jim

 

[Path_Finder]

Giving weapons to rebel groups means giving them to ISIS as those groups will surrender those weapons.

Jim

I agree that idea is foisted but seeing how many Rebel groups have their own strongholds, I think that is just foisted to boost the Assad regime.

As if the regime hasn’t seen many of their weapons go to ISIS as well.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I agree that idea is foisted but seeing how many Rebel groups have their own strongholds, I think that is just foisted to boost the Assad regime.

As if the regime hasn’t seen many of their weapons go to ISIS as well.

The Russians will destroy those rebel group strongholds, for they’re against Assad.

The fight against ISIS requires Assad to win as unfortunate as that is.

However, its apparent that the mindset of the people in the Middle East is that they can not be governed without a dictatorship like Saddam and Assad.

When we over threw Saddam, an Islamic Shiite Government took control and it became hell for Christians.

Same is true in Syria and even the Syrian Archbishop says that the Russians are helping the remaining Christians there.

Jim

 

[Path_Finder]

The Russians will destroy those rebel group strongholds, for they’re against Assad.

The fight against ISIS requires Assad to win as unfortunate as that is.

However, its apparent that the mindset of the people in the Middle East is that they can not be governed without a dictatorship like Saddam and Assad.

When we over threw Saddam, an Islamic Shiite Government took control and it became hell for Christians.

Same is true in Syria and even the Syrian Archbishop says that the Russians are helping the remaining Christians there.

Jim

Oh, the Rebels will be destroyed and how quickly??

So in the meantime, Assad and the Russians aid ISIS and Al Qaeda, but it will only be for a few months, there are not that many Sunnis around that will fill their ranks. Looks like Russia’s campaign is going to fail as Hezbollah, Iran and the Syrian regime supplied by USSR/Russia for 40 years.

A few months, maybe a few years.

 

[Path_Finder]

The same Catholic Herald article ended saying “most of the deaths of the 200,000 are blamed on Assad”, good luck with that calculus.

See, Obama was actually right, as close to possible in regards to Syria.

Syrian opposition leaders have even met in Moscow with Russians officials and Putin has said Assad is ready to share power.

These historic facts, don’t really jive with the “kill the moderates first, then kill ISIS” talk.
.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The Russians will destroy those rebel group strongholds, for they’re against Assad.

The fight against ISIS requires Assad to win as unfortunate as that is.

However, its apparent that the mindset of the people in the Middle East is that they can not be governed without a dictatorship like Saddam and Assad.

When we over threw Saddam, an Islamic Shiite Government took control and it became hell for Christians.

Same is true in Syria and even the Syrian Archbishop says that the Russians are helping the remaining Christians there.

Jim

Assad is no better than ISIS, and has killed a lot more people than ISIS has. Both are despicable. It is not necessary for Assad to win. It is only necessary for ISIS to lose. Unfortunately, Obama sits on his hands. So, the bloodbath will only get worse.

One should not be so dismissive of people in the M.E. Remember that, at a point, Shia and Sunni actually guarded Christian churches against the radical enemies of all three.

And Syria’s rebellion was major and serious before the U.S. did a single thing there. People like Assad and Saddam can rule only by murder and extreme cruelty. When people can rebel against such things, they do.

Russia could have helped Christians a long time ago, but did nothing. Now that nearly all the Christians are gone, it bombs the few who are left. Russia’s goal is controlling M.E. oil with Iran, nothing more.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

So in the meantime, Assad and the Russians aid ISIS and Al Qaeda, but it will only be for a few months, .

Huh, Russia and Assad aid ISIS and Al Qaeda ? ISIS is trying to take down Assad, why would he and his friends the Russians, help the enemy who’s trying to destroy them ?

I haven’t heard this logic used by anyone.

Jim

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Assad is no better than ISIS, .

Christians and non-Muslims were protected by Assad, as they were by Saddam. Once we took down Saddam, they were slaughtered and driven out of Iraq and soon to be out of Syria if ISIS wins.

But don’t go by me.

Russian intervention in Syria helps Christians, says archbishop

Aleppo archbishop says Christians in the country feel hope thanks to Putin’s involvement

One of Syria’s leading churchmen has welcomed Russia’s intervention.

Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop Jean-Clément Jeanbart of Aleppo told Swiss television that Vladimir Putin’s intervention was a source of “hope” for the country’s Christians.

The Russian president, Archbishop Jeanbart told Télévision Suisse Romande, “serves the Christians’ cause”, even if Moscow was only serving its own interests.

Archbishop Jeanbart spoke of a “renewal of confidence” among Christians in Syria, adding that President Putin “is solving a problem”.

catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/10/09/russian-intervention-in-syria-serves-the-christians-cause-says-archbishop/

Jim

 

[Ridgerunner]

Christians and non-Muslims were protected by Assad, as they were by Saddam. Once we took down Saddam, they were slaughtered and driven out of Iraq and soon to be out of Syria if ISIS wins.

Jim

Saddam Hussein was an “equal opportunity” murderer and torturer. So is Assad. Think carefully about this. The U.S. didn’t “take down” Assad, and yet Islamic radicals nearly took over his country, and might do it still. Saddam Hussein’s government was not a bit stronger or more popular than Assad’s. It was only a matter of time before Saddam fell.

 

[Path_Finder]

Huh, Russia and Assad aid ISIS and Al Qaeda ? ISIS is trying to take down Assad, why would he and his friends the Russians, help the enemy who’s trying to destroy them ?

I haven’t heard this logic used by anyone.

Jim

thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/10/08/russia-s-giving-isis-an-air-force.html

Lots of articles on this and from prior before Russia entered into it.

Ever hear about how two aggressors decided not to interfere with each other over Poland in World War II?

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Saddam Hussein was an “equal opportunity” murderer and torturer. So is Assad. Think carefully about this. The U.S. didn’t “take down” Assad, and yet Islamic radicals nearly took over his country, and might do it still. Saddam Hussein’s government was not a bit stronger or more popular than Assad’s. It was only a matter of time before Saddam fell.

And ISIS is a selective group of murderers engaged in the brutal murder of all non-Muslims and Muslims of the wrong flavor, men, women and children.

They’re also engaged in destroying all historical sites.

They make Assad look like a choir boy.

Jim

 

[JimR-OCDS]

thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/10/08/russia-s-giving-isis-an-air-force.html

Lots of articles on this and from prior before Russia entered into it.

Ever hear about how two aggressors decided not to interfere with each other over Poland in World War II?

Oh, Putin’s attacks on anti-Assad Rebels only help ISIS in the fact that they’re not bombing them yet, but Putin also knows we’re bombing ISIS.

We leave and be assured, Putin is going after ISIS with Russian and Assad ground troops.

Jim

 

[Theo520]

that was $500 million down the drain!

Makes one wonder if the money was diverted to other uses.

I wonder if the generals in charge will receive promotions or demotions?

 

[Ridgerunner]

They make Assad look like a choir boy.

Jim

Not at all. Assad has killed more people even since the rebellion than ISIS has. The difference is that ISIS advertises its atrocities in order to show the Arab world that the west can’t stand up against them, while Assad hides his in order to make westerners think he’s less a savage than he really is.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Not at all. Assad has killed more people even since the rebellion than ISIS has. The difference is that ISIS advertises its atrocities in order to show the Arab world that the west can’t stand up against them, while Assad hides his in order to make westerners think he’s less a savage than he really is.

Assad has killed rebels.

ISIS has crucified Christians, including children, beheaded others just because of their religious faith. They have executed Shiite Muslims in mass.

Both are atrocities, but if you were a Christian in Syria, who would you be supporting ?

Jim