“The ones that are in the fight… we’re talking four or five”, Austin, the top USA commander in the Middle East, testified during a hearing on USA operations against the Islamic State group, also referred to as ISIS or ISIL, before the Senate Armed Services Committee. John McCain of Arizona, the committee’s chairman, said using a common acronym for the Islamic State. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Sen. Austin confirmed that the Defense Department is reviewing the program amid reports it will be scaled back in the wake of these setbacks.
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A central component of the American strategy has been the USA effort to train and equip what the Obama administration calls a New Syrian Force, but a bipartisan mix of senators openly mocked the results of that initiative.
The Pentagon was granted $500 million for the program in 2015, and has requested $600 million for 2016.
Austin went on to say that the next two classes of NSF fighters are still being trained, though that training too is falling behind schedule.
Christine Wormuth, undersecretary of defense for policy, told senators that the US was looking at how to speed up the recruiting and screening processes.
A spokeswoman for the Pentagon’s inspector general on Friday said its office had opened an investigation to address whether there was any “falsification, distortion, delay, suppression, or improper modification of intelligence information”.
On the latter charge, Austin vowed Wednesday to take “appropriate action” if an investigation indicates that senior defense officials altered intelligence reports.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., though, said: “We have to acknowledge this was a total failure….”
“Have you ever ordered, suggested, or hinted to any of the intelligence command that they should sweeten the intelligence reports in order to portray a more positive view of our success in Iraq or Syria?” Sen.
The USA initially sought to deploy 5,400 rebels to Syria per year.
He also said he would make sure the analysts who made the allegations would not face retaliation. “If true, those responsible must be held accountable”, he said.
Congress in September granted the Pentagon the authority to undertake the program. “Like Sen. McCain, I expect the committee will be kept apprised of this investigation as it continues”.
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In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday, Austin revealed for the first time Special Operations Forces are “engaged with YPG” Kurdish forces on the ground in Syria. They want the rebel force to focus first on ousting Syrian President Bashar Assad, while the White House wants the fighters to target Islamic State.
