Posted on Oct 9, 2015
What do you think about the Obama Administration ending the program to train and arm Syrian rebels?
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“Training thousands of infantry was not the right model, I think that’s become pretty clear,” said another senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.
The official said the training was “to be suspended, with the option to restart if conditions dictate, opportunities arise.” The official also said that support to Sunni Arab fighters in eastern Syria was an example of focusing on groups already fighting the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, “rather than using training to try to manufacture new brigades.”
The shift in strategy comes as critics in Congress have increasingly demanded that the administration make changes or face the elimination of the program altogether.
Update. I changed the hyperlink to the DoD News Release from October 9.
http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/622663/pentagon-pauses-moderate-syrian-train-and-equip-mission?source=GovDelivery
The official said the training was “to be suspended, with the option to restart if conditions dictate, opportunities arise.” The official also said that support to Sunni Arab fighters in eastern Syria was an example of focusing on groups already fighting the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, “rather than using training to try to manufacture new brigades.”
The shift in strategy comes as critics in Congress have increasingly demanded that the administration make changes or face the elimination of the program altogether.
Update. I changed the hyperlink to the DoD News Release from October 9.
http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/622663/pentagon-pauses-moderate-syrian-train-and-equip-mission?source=GovDelivery
Posted in these groups: 
Office of the President (POTUS)
ISIS
Office of the President (POTUS) ISIS
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 34
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CAPT Hiram Patterson
I don't think the idea was stupid, it was the execution that was stupid. It was a bunch of posturing and sitting around on their behinds forever without making any definitive decisions. In other words, paralysis by analysis!
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No use throwing good money after bad, just because...sometimes its best to just cut your losses and the time is now...we have to have a shift in policy and shift in focus as the bear is moving in and we have to approach with different tactics.
We are going to revisit this decision within the next decade, we are seeing the fallout already with the exodus of 11,000,000 refugees already....
We are going to revisit this decision within the next decade, we are seeing the fallout already with the exodus of 11,000,000 refugees already....
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PV2 Glen Lewis
I really think as we move out "the bear" moving in is what is of concern to me. I don't trust Vladimir Putin and Russia's motives any more than I do those of ISIS. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but mopping up the mess they left in Afghanistan is a big part of what got us so heavily involved in the military situation in the Middle East. A task we still haven't completed to date. This is assuming by the bear you mean Russia.
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$500 million and they have 5 fighters to show for it. My plan is simple: Pay 50,000 unemployed grunts that much cash and provided the ammo & beer, the troubles would be all over.
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SFC Mark Merino
You are officially #1. I'll head up the program for free, but I get the most free ammo.
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Its just another Obama administration failure in the Middle East. Total ineptitude. The US should lead, not act half heartedly.
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From a Civil Affairs perspective, this program failed to meet it's stated objectives, thus not meeting it's Measures of Performance.
What I would do in this situation is look to recapitalize the resources spent on this program to try another tack and see if that is more effective.
For those who would question this program in it's entirety (fair enough, I do too), keep in mind that the policy decision is made way up the food chain. Our job is to implement that policy.
Having said that, it is clear that this was becoming a political liability as well as an international embarrassment. I am pleased to see that we will discontinue squandering funds on this completely ineffectual program.
What I would do in this situation is look to recapitalize the resources spent on this program to try another tack and see if that is more effective.
For those who would question this program in it's entirety (fair enough, I do too), keep in mind that the policy decision is made way up the food chain. Our job is to implement that policy.
Having said that, it is clear that this was becoming a political liability as well as an international embarrassment. I am pleased to see that we will discontinue squandering funds on this completely ineffectual program.
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Should have been ended a while ago. How many American homeless could have been fed with that wasted money?
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SSgt Randy Saulsberry
it wouldnt matter how much money they wasted because they would have never used a penny of it to help the homeless
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CAPT Hiram Patterson
Yep, just like the billions they got from tobacco companies that was supposed to go to educational programs to help people stop using tobacco and general education programs. But as usual it was spent for everything else. And the states didn't spend in on their school systems. And really not much different than the government spending social security funds for other things.
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SMSgt Sheila Berg
Good its about time. We wasted money on Cowards that gave our equipment away and refused to fight. You can't train someone who won't defend their country!
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we supported the wrong people there ... we should have supported the Kurd!
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PO3 (Join to see)
COL Ted Mc - no matter we stay or pull back ... there still a hell of the price we are going to pay ...
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COL Ted Mc
PO3 (Join to see) - Indeed. And now the fight is to see who the blame can be attached to - regardless of what the people attaching the blame were responsible for themselves.
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PO3 (Join to see)
COL Ted Mc - yap .... can't we just solve the problem instead ... (no offense to woman) of keep pointing finger like my wife. lol
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As you seasoned veterans know, even the best instructor cannot train the will to fight. We cannot instill heart into the Soldier. If the Soldier doesn't come ready and willing to fight, we are only training a future target. For what we've been doing in Syria, the laws of diminishing returns apply. We may have had the best of intentions, but intentions don't win wars and they definitely don't justify political expedience over tried and true military leadership. It was a waste of resources and now the realization of zero political gain is in open.
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