Trump ends covert CIA program to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria, a move sought by Moscow

[herding cats]

Source: Washington Post

President Trump has decided to end the CIA’s covert program to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels battling the government of Bashar al-Assad, a move long sought by Russia, according to U.S. officials.

The program was a central plank of a policy begun by the Obama administration in 2013 to put pressure on Assad to step aside, but even its backers have questioned its efficacy since Russia deployed forces in Syria two years later.

Officials said the phasing out of the secret program reflects Trump’s interest in finding ways to work with Russia, which saw the anti-Assad program as an assault on its interests. The shuttering of the program is also an acknowledgment of Washington’s limited leverage and desire to remove Assad from power.

Just three months ago, after the United States accused Assad of using chemical weapons, Trump launched retaliatory airstrikes against a Syrian air base. At the time, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, said that “in no way do we see peace in that area with Assad at the head of the Syrian government.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-ends-covert-cia-program-to-arm-anti-assad-rebels-in-syria-a-move-sought-by-moscow/2017/07/19/b6821a62-6beb-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_no-name%3Apage%2Fbreaking-news-bar&tid=a_breakingnews&utm_term=.8efd2bcf7103

[deminks]

1. Pootey's puppy. Doesn't it make you wonder what 3 hours of meetings were about?

[David__77]

2. The US should not be supporting the Islamist insurgents in Syria.

The swiftest defeat for the Islamic State and al Qaeda will occur with the tactical cooperation of the Syrian government and the opposition Syrian Democratic Forces (not the "rebels" referred by in this article). Indeed, Islamic State is suffering big defeats in easter and central Syria recently. The continued focus on supporting the other non-Islamic State Islamist insurgents could only bolster the strength of Islamic State by diverting the attention of the army of the government forces.

[NewJeffCT]

3. I guess we know at least part of what was covered

in that secret 1 hour meeting at the G20...

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Is there an ongoing list of all the things tRump has done to pay back Putin?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

5. Doing his master's bidding

Don't want the tape getting out.

[Bleacher Creature]

6. I have a feeling that even Putin is surprised by how well this has worked out for him.

This has to be beyond his wildest dreams.

[Catmusicfan]

7. this is insanity

This ... I can't even

[Oneironaut]

8. This is a good decision. The chaos in Syria needs to end.

It's better to have Assad in charge than what we have now.

[bluestarone]

9. i say

BULL SHIT

[Oneironaut]

11. Why? We were basically just giving ISIS our weapons.

Of the rebels we trained that weren't corrupt, most either got themselves killed or ran away. We never should have been there in the first place. It was Obama's biggest blunder.

[NCDem777]

16. I'm convinced that if we had stayed out of Syria

Dems would be in the White House now.

Getting involved in more moronic ME conflicts lost us a lot of anti-war voters to other parties.

Not to mention the refugee crisis that wouldn't have existed if not but for us prolonging the war. Assad would have just smashed the Islamist rebels and it would have been back to normal.

And can we just be honest for a minute? The majority of these "rebels" aren't fighting for democracy. They're just mad that Assad is a secular psychopath rather than a religious one.

[bluestarone]

17. not really

i feel the blunder was not arming the rebels right away. This would have made Russia think twice about getting involved. But yea he did screwup, but not the way you say. America needs to continue to be the light of the world!! That's why i'm proud to be an American!! Assad needed to be stopped!! Now Iraq, THAT'S a whole new beast that i totally disagreed with!!!

[NCDem777]

18. Most of the "rebels"

just want an Iran-style theocracy. They're not out to make a thriving democracy. They just want to put women in Burkas at gunpoint.

[bahrbearian]

12. +1

It's insane to keep arming the Middle East ,ban all weapon sales and give aways.

[joshcryer]

10. It was a non-starter to begin with.

Syria is a clusterfuck.

[pansypoo53219]

13. could actually be a good thing. see john stewart's 'learning curves is for pussies.'

[snort]

14. Thanks to the Flaming Orange Fuckface,

Pooties asshole is squeaky clean.

[NCDem777]

15. What was that saying about blind squirrels?

The sooner we stop trying to pick winners and losers in that region the better. For us anyway.