US to deploy 400 troops to train Syrian rebels

The Pentagon has announced that it will be sending approximately 400 soldiers to Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in order to train moderate Syrian rebels. While the USA has allegedly been training rebels in Jordan, these announcements seem to indicate that the upcoming exercises have a different goal in mind.

A defence official stated that the "The goal for the train and equip program is to build the capabilities of the moderate Syrian fighters to defend the Syrian people; stabilize areas under opposition control; promote the conditions for a negotiated settlement of the conflict in Syria; and empower trainees to go on the offensive against ISIL."

Indeed, it would seem that the Obama administration is now less focused on overthrowing Assad, and is instead intending to bolster the rebels' capability against ISIS.

I personally do not agree with the training of third parties, as we have seen how much it has 'helped' in the past. From Vietnam to Afghanistan and Libya, things don't always turn out well for the policies...I would much rather see the USA negotiate a temporary truce between the Syrian government and moderate rebel fighters in order for a combined offensive against ISIS. The likelihood of such an action is minimal, but i still think the Syrian government should be involved in the destruction of ISIS. Indeed, it has indicated that it would like to help many times. The best course for Syria would be a Syrian government victory, followed by a democratic election. Both of which would negate much of the problems surrounding the state and allegations against the current government. It would likely result in a stable Syria, rather than a second Libya. That discussion is for another time, however.

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Seems the same rhetoric they used to get troops into Vietnam. You can slide right into a full blown war that way.

I think they should just STFU and fix up their own back yard .... say, enforce their own leaky borders for starters.

Everything they have touched in the Middle East has turned into a pile of dog poop.

P

All part of the PLAN.......nothing to see here move along.........

Hey, we did it with Al Queida and that worked out just fine. What happened with that other group of Syrian rebels we were going to finance to the tune of half a billion dollars a year ago? Real nice guys, what was their name again...oh yeah, ISIS.

US foreign policy needs a tune up.

Ahh.. uncle scams new year gift to IS - trainers and new equipment .. not to mention yet another violation of international law by the u.s ..

originally posted by: pheonix358
Seems the same rhetoric they used to get troops into Vietnam. You can slide right into a full blown war that way.

I think they should just STFU and fix up their own back yard .... say, enforce their own leaky borders for starters.

Everything they have touched in the Middle East has turned into a pile of dog poop.

P

Ahh.. but then the americans wouldnt get their oil and bloodmoney .. not to mention cant have those poor people in the middle east live without american freedumb and dumbocracy ..

you know what it does not matter we got Afghanistan and we are keeping it! Dont care if the Russians accept the challenge of WW3, we are going to keep Afghanistan and thats that. We are not giving up our cheap lithium powered consumer goods anytime soon. Europe has reaped the benefit of an occupied Afghan as well. Its just the way of the world.

Does not look good for our position in Syria though. How long before daesh "steals" some of the Russian air defense systems recently sold to Iraq and the Apache's and F-16's and Predators start falling from the sky??

a reply to: Expat888

I completely agree.

Need to feed the warmongers to the tigers.

P

a reply to: pheonix358

That would be cruelty to the poor tigers .. its not pretty when tigers get tummyaches ..

a reply to: daaskapital
The stupidity of the U.S. government ceases to amaze me.

Guaranteed it will come back to bite the U.S. government and its people on their collective asses!

US to deploy 400 troops to train Syrian rebels

Oh, good.
I was just thinking that ISIS have been a bit sloppy lately.
I'm sure they'll appreciate the support.

Is that not how vietnam started?

Mision creep....

Total nonsense by the US as usual regarding the Middle East. Why do they promote the ethnic cleansing of Christians from this region? Assad supports a secular state. All this will do is eliminate Christians from the region when the backlash against them happens as in post Saddam Iraq. This stinks, stupid stupid stupid foreign policy. The end of Assad will be the end of Christianity in secular Syria. I just don't get what the long term aim can be? Other than no more Christians in Syria.

The end of Assad can't be good for Israel either. I don't see how a moderate country controlled by USA can be good for Israel. Sure a 'peace' treaty may follow paid for by Egypt style military aid, but then israel will probably have to cede Golan. Why would they want that? No defence of the Gallilee without Golan. So it can't be Israel pulling the strings in Washington on this one.

Must be to force Russia out of the eastern Med, the only reason I can see here. But kiss good bye to a million Syrian Christians from the cradle of Christianity and another Middle East state that will become totally Islamic as part of the deal. Thanks USA

originally posted by: daaskapital
The Pentagon has announced that it will be sending approximately 400 soldiers to Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in order to train moderate Syrian rebels. While the USA has allegedly been training rebels in Jordan, these announcements seem to indicate that the upcoming exercises have a different goal in mind.

A defence official stated that the "The goal for the train and equip program is to build the capabilities of the moderate Syrian fighters to defend the Syrian people; stabilize areas under opposition control; promote the conditions for a negotiated settlement of the conflict in Syria; and empower trainees to go on the offensive against ISIL."

Indeed, it would seem that the Obama administration is now less focused on overthrowing Assad, and is instead intending to bolster the rebels' capability against ISIS.

I personally do not agree with the training of third parties, as we have seen how much it has 'helped' in the past. From Vietnam to Afghanistan and Libya, things don't always turn out well for the policies...I would much rather see the USA negotiate a temporary truce between the Syrian government and moderate rebel fighters in order for a combined offensive against ISIS. The likelihood of such an action is minimal, but i still think the Syrian government should be involved in the destruction of ISIS. Indeed, it has indicated that it would like to help many times. The best course for Syria would be a Syrian government victory, followed by a democratic election. Both of which would negate much of the problems surrounding the state and allegations against the current government. It would likely result in a stable Syria, rather than a second Libya. That discussion is for another time, however.

edition.cnn.com...
www.foxnews.com...

My first question would be - what are moderate rebels exactly? Because I'm pretty sure if I took up took up arms against my government and was funded and trained by the Russians, for example, I would be considered a extremist for sure.

Protection from ISIS? Stop funding them. Oh wait... That's not part of the agenda is it?

originally posted by: abe froman
Hey, we did it with Al Queida and that worked out just fine. What happened with that other group of Syrian rebels we were going to finance to the tune of half a billion dollars a year ago? Real nice guys, what was their name again...oh yeah, ISIS.

US foreign policy needs a tune up.

Not to mention the fact that US and Britain trained Afghan "freedom fighters" to fight the Russians and were called the Taliban. That worked out fine as well.

a reply to: cArLoSCuBsTaR

What are moderate rebels? They are terrorists orchestrated and funded by the United States of America with the aim of toppling a secular state and replacing it with an Islamic one whereby ethnic cleansing of any remaining Christians and Jews will be put into effect.

Why don't we call all of them terrorists ( it is like a word play on undocumented for illegal ) moderate or not, they are terrorists, then again, who are the real terrorists at this point?

1. make or become less extreme, intense, rigorous, or violent. "I shall not moderate my criticism" synonyms: die down, abate, let up, calm down, lessen, decrease, diminish; More antonyms: increase, exacerbate, aggravate

Wow, talk about doublespeak. Piss on my leg because I already know it's raining.

Seems pretty obvious that US politicians are the most stupid people on Earth. Even the spoils of greed can't justify the actions they are doing in the name of what ever it is.

Wasted lessons.

Boko Haram has massacred thousands of civilians in Nigeria, but US officials' response towards the horrific crimes have been strangely muted. RT’s Manila Chan explores a potential link to oil, which the US no longer receives from Nigeria.

To many, the lack of Washington's strive to aid the people of Nigeria – the biggest African economy – seems to follow simple geostrategic logic: no oil, no security support. While diverting funds to fight the Islamic State in Iraq, the US seems unwilling to address Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria.

As US is trying to master shale gas exploitation; it has moved away from some of its traditional trade partners, with Nigeria – an OPEC-member state – becoming the first country to stop selling oil to the US, statistics from the US Department of Energy reveal. Nigeria was one of the top five suppliers to the US at the height of trade, less than a decade ago supplying it with 1.3 million barrels of oil every day.

No oil, no ‘protection’? Boko Haram massacre in Nigeria sees little reaction from US
Reality pure and simple.