Pentagon finally scraps failing expensive training program for moderate rebels in Syria

After considerable criticism, the Pentagon has announced it is ending its $500 million program to train and equip vetted moderate Syrian rebels to form a New Syrian Force to fight the Islamic State.

+ Add Image

The U.S. is now planning to provide arms and equipment to select vetted groups and leaders in Syria already fighting the Islamic State. Secretary of State Ash Carter said:"I remain convinced that a lasting defeat of ISIL in Syria will depend in part on the success of local, motivated, and capable ground forces.I believe the changes we are instituting today will, over time, increase the combat power of counter-ISIL forces in Syria and ultimately help our campaign achieve a lasting defeat of ISIL."

There were just two groups of trained rebels sent to Syria. The first group of 54 was quickly routed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. In recent testimony to the U.S. Congress CENTCOM commander General Lloyd Austin III testified that less than half a dozen U.S.-trained rebels were left in Syria. The fate of the second group of about 70 fighters was no better. As soon as the group entered Syria they handed their weapons over to the Nusra Front. Originally the plan was to have thousands of the U.S.-trained New Syrian Forces in Syria fighting the Islamic State. The U.S. policy failed to take into account the obvious fact that rebels of whatever stripe have as their first priority defeat of Assad rather than fighting the Islamic State. The only reason rebels fight the Islamic State is that IS attacks them. The U.S. bombing attacks also target Al-Qaeda linked Nusra Front that most rebels consider a key ally in the fight against Assad.

Al Jazeera reporter Rosalind Jordan said reporters were told that the U.S. believes the fight against the Islamic State will last for years: "What is notable is instead of training the moderate Syrian rebels who had wanted to take arms up against President Bashar al-Assad, the US is going to be providing basic military equipment and support to exisitng groups who have been fighting against ISIL for the better part of the year now. Obama administraion officials told reporters on Friday that this change will work but they also did caution that the fight against ISIL is going to take years and it will not be resolved in a matter of weeks or months."The extent of the program will apparently be scaled back with a new focus on providing weaponry to Kurdish and other rebel groups. Now with the Russians providing more equipment and air support for Assad, he may be able to improve his situation. The U.S. arming of the Kurds will not hurt Assad since long ago Assad decided to leave the Kurds alone, provided they did not attack his forces. Recently the Kurds applauded the Russian air strikes in Syria even though rebel groups attacking Assad other than the Islamic State were targets of the raids. The Kurds also asked the Russians to provide them with weapons.

US general claims less than half dozen US-trained rebels remain in Syria

Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the head of CENTCOM and the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, said there were only four or five Syrian rebels trained by the U.S. military still in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria.

+ Add Image

General Austin also said the U.S. would not reach its goal of training 5,000 Syrian fighters in the near future. In effect, Austin's testimony before the U.S. Armed Services Committee showed that the Defense Department $500 million program was going nowhere.

Republican Senator John McCain, chair of the committee, wanted to know why the U.S. had not set up a no-fly zone over Syria to help protect civilians from being bombed by the Assad government. Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill said that despite all the talk from US military officials about how well the war was progressing there seemed no recognition of the "practical realities". Intelligence agents have complained that their negative reports on the war against the Islamic State are being altered by superiors.

The Defense Department had announced last May that they intended to train up to 5,400 fighters each year in a strategy designed to combine US bombing with proxy local troops on the ground against the Islamic State. The U.S. has been reluctant to send American troops against the Islamic State, although there are no doubt some special forces operating in secret in Syria. The problem for the U.S. is that the rebels are interested primarily in fighting against Assad and not the Islamic State. Many are particularly incensed at the U.S. bombing of the Al-Qaeda-linked Al Nusra Front. In some areas the Front is a key player in attacking Assad. The Front has retaliated by successfully attacking U.S.-trained rebels and seizing their weapons.

The U.S.-trained rebels called the New Syrian Force(NSF) began with only 54 with all but four or five either having been killed or fleeing, according to General Austin. Present classes in training are about 100 to 120 fighters, nowhere near the over-5,000 target. In spite of the fact that the Pentagon repeatedly praises and promotes the program, General Austin said it was reviewing it.

Recent reports indicate the Obama administration is finally planning a major overhaul of its strategy. The new plan will see the U.S.-trained rebels embedded with Kurdish and Arab forces in northeastern Syria. The rebels would be trained to use U.S. communications equipment, enabling them to provide intelligence and designate targets for U.S. bombing. The numbers to be trained are being scaled back to around 500 per year, just one tenth of the original plans.