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What you say, plus, in 2014, Congress authorized and funded the US military to do this, that the CIA had begun doing since 2013.

You have to follow this thru time.

Since 2011, the neocon republicans and liberal interventionist democrats had wanted to arm and train the Syrian rebels, but the realists(R&D) plus Obama opposed.

Then in late 2012, the realists began to shift positions so in spring 2013, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted(15-3) to arm the rebels and train them on the weapons.

So CIA worked up a plan, Congress approved it, and they began. Its not known exactly when they began but by early 2014 it was well underway and the media was reporting on it.

The rebels were saying the weapons were good and the training was good but all they were getting was anti-tank weapons and the needed anti-aircraft weapons to be used against Assad's jets and helicopters dropping barrel bombs. Plus the rebels said the pace of arming and training was too slow.

So members of congress(led by neocon McCain) began agitating to appropriate more money and give them anti-aircraft weapons. But they all stopped talking about anti-aircraft weapons after the airliner got shot down in Ukraine.

But eventually, Congress did appropriate more money and extended the duty to the military.

You may also recall that in 2014 the issue of the US bombing Assad's forces came up because of Assad using chemical weapons. Obama said he wanted to bomb but wouldn't do it unless congress approved it, which they didn't.