The second version of the Pentagon’s effort to train and equip Syrian rebels has trained less than 100 so far, despite millions of dollars allocated to the program.
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“What we’re looking at now is taking out key enabler personnel from certain units, training them and then reinserting them so they can provide information to the coalition to enable us to then target ISIL”, one official said, using an alternate acronym for ISIS.
“What we’re really trying to do here is build on what has worked for us and learn from some of the things that have been a lot more challenging”, Wormuth said.
The majority of the advanced-level training has taken place outside of Syria. The officials declined to comment on where those camps are located, but recent reports state numerous overseas locations are in Turkey and Jordan. In September 2015 the first graduates of the USA train and equip program surrendered to Al Qaida’s Syrian affiliate, Jabat Al Nusra.
One of the objectives of American commanders in Syria is to try and conduct the bulk of training operations inside Syria’s borders, one USA official said Monday. Experts have criticized the Obama administration’s policy for only supporting forces which are dedicated to fighting the Islamic State, and not the Syrian regime.
Following the emergence of IS, the United States came up with plans to train a 15,000-strong “moderate” rebel force by the end of 2017, with training sites being set up in Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
“I can look out at your faces and you have the same reaction I do, which is that that’s an awfully small number”, he said. The following month, Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, made a visit to a training site in northern Syria.
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ISIS monsters say they killed them for “acting against the Islamic State, communicating with outside parties and receiving funds, and other charges”.
