Posted on Oct 9, 2015
What do you think about the Obama Administration ending the program to train and arm Syrian rebels?
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“Training thousands of infantry was not the right model, I think that’s become pretty clear,” said another senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.
The official said the training was “to be suspended, with the option to restart if conditions dictate, opportunities arise.” The official also said that support to Sunni Arab fighters in eastern Syria was an example of focusing on groups already fighting the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, “rather than using training to try to manufacture new brigades.”
The shift in strategy comes as critics in Congress have increasingly demanded that the administration make changes or face the elimination of the program altogether.
Update. I changed the hyperlink to the DoD News Release from October 9.
http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/622663/pentagon-pauses-moderate-syrian-train-and-equip-mission?source=GovDelivery
The official said the training was “to be suspended, with the option to restart if conditions dictate, opportunities arise.” The official also said that support to Sunni Arab fighters in eastern Syria was an example of focusing on groups already fighting the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, “rather than using training to try to manufacture new brigades.”
The shift in strategy comes as critics in Congress have increasingly demanded that the administration make changes or face the elimination of the program altogether.
Update. I changed the hyperlink to the DoD News Release from October 9.
http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/622663/pentagon-pauses-moderate-syrian-train-and-equip-mission?source=GovDelivery
Posted in these groups: 
Office of the President (POTUS)
ISIS
Office of the President (POTUS) ISIS
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 34
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Are we sure this needs to be cancelled so soon, it worked so well in the past... Take Nicaragua, Iraq, Chechnya, Bosnia, Kosovo, Nigeria, Egypt...
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LTC Stephen F.
Don't forget India, Pakistan and much of sub-Saharan Africa at one time or another CW3 Eric W. S. :-)
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CW3 Eric W. S.
LTC Stephen F. - I was actually trying to leave a few out there for someone else. Honestly, I could have gone on for quite a ways on that list...
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Well it wasn't particularly working so there's that...
Additionally, continuing to arm them against the now Russian backed Assad regime was probably going to result in some crossfire between Russia and the US if only by proxy.
We will have to see where things go from here.
Additionally, continuing to arm them against the now Russian backed Assad regime was probably going to result in some crossfire between Russia and the US if only by proxy.
We will have to see where things go from here.
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I don't know what the answer to this mess us, but we cannot fight civil wars for others who won't fight for themselves. Russia might just find out how difficult it is. Let them waste their money and lives.
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I am glad to learn that the program is ending and think it was somewhat misguided to train Syrian rebels to be infantry fighters.
I certainly hope that the arms that were sent from Libya to Syria were not used to kill friendlies anywhere. It was a travesty that Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone S. Woods and Glen A. Doherty died during the negotiation process to transfer the arms.
I certainly hope that the arms that were sent from Libya to Syria were not used to kill friendlies anywhere. It was a travesty that Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone S. Woods and Glen A. Doherty died during the negotiation process to transfer the arms.
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