Posted on 09/16/2014 11:55:59 AM PDT by Rusty0604
Even assuming President Obama gets the authority he wants, experts say deciding who exactly should get American aid is an exceedingly difficult task. There are vast differences among Syrian rebel fighters—a conglomerate of varying ideologies, social backgrounds, and loyalties. And the questions of who exactly is a Syrian moderate, and whether these weapons will fall into the wrong hands, loom large on Capitol Hill.
There isn't a formal definition of a Syrian moderate, said Leila Hilal of the New America Foundation. But implicit in the word, she says, are a few criteria: a Syrian who is a nationalist and is fighting for a secular, democratic, and inclusive state.
That definition leaves a lot of room, Hilal said, and there are ample rebel fighters on the ground. ...determining who exactly fits the "moderate" bill is done on an ad hoc basis.
"One of the problems is that whether or not someone is fighting under an Islamic banner or a Syrian revolutionary flag, they're often working together on different fronts," said Hilal, a senior fellow with New America's International Security Program. "If they're fighting to take over the military base or airport … different groups ideologically predisposed will be fighting together."
A political framework is key, she said, rather than handpicking rebels to do the fighting.
"In my mind, in order to mount an effective counterterrorism strategy, you really need a robust nationalist force that isn't just a select group of so-called moderates."
Before the U.S. chooses whom to equip and train, a background check is performed. The Department of Defense works closely with the intelligence community, using all of its databases in the vetting process, according to Commander Elissa Smith, a Pentagon spokeswoman. She declined to further detail the process, but said it involves appropriate agencies and departments.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...
Why, they’ll vet them, of course.
With politicians, that has always been the definition.
How Will the U.S. Decide Which Syrian Rebels to Arm??
Does it really matter?? the way I see it, a moderate muslim is just a Terrorist without a weapon.
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