U.S. military starts training Syria fighters to combat Islamic State

REUTERS ^ | May 7, 2015 | DASHA AFANASIEVA AND PHIL STEWART

[McGruff]

The U.S. military has started training Syrian fighters to combat Islamic State militants, officials said on Thursday, adding the program had begun in Jordan and would soon launch in Turkey.

The U.S. plan to train and arm a force that is expected to eventually total more than 15,000 troops is a major test of President Barack Obama's strategy in Syria, which critics say is too limited to influence events.

[McGruff]

I gotta bad feeling about this.

[Darksheare]

Training Al-Qeada to fight Al-Qeada.

[dp0622]

Is 15,000 the start? I assume a very large number would be needed to defeat ISIS and THEN defeat Assad, if that is the intent.
I cant keep track of all the factions and of the stated goals.

[Uncle Miltie]

What could possibly go wrong?

[Ray76]

McCain must be happy, his al Qaeda pals are being trained.

[ColdOne]

President Barack Obama's strategy in Syria ........I guess he is going to give Syria to ISIS.

[stephenjohnbanker]

It should be clear to all by now that Obama has no intention to inflict harm on any Islamic terrorists.

[MrEdd]

I will make it simple.

If they are not Christians they want to kill you.
If they are Christians Obama wants to make sure nobody protects them.

There.
Two sentences.
Can you keep them straight now?

[Truth29]

"What could possibly go wrong?"

After they are trained and lose to Assad, Obama could bring them to the US as refugees, and turn them lose on Middle America as seed communities.

[Darksheare]

Yeah, it is glaringly obvious where his loyalties lie.
The situation in Syria was created via...Benghazi, and gun running through said location.

[BitWielder1]

Do they have contingency plans for when half of them join the enemy after their training is done?
That's if they're not the enemy already.

[Billthedrill]

Training is bad enough, but fortunately nobody at State is stupid enough to give these yo-yos antiaircraft missiles...

WHAT?

Dammit.

[bert]

the process abandoned in November ‘13 is being resumed

the coalition kicked Obama’s ass and he quit. now he realizes the error of his pouty, petulant ways and is attempting to pick up where he deserted the coalition back then

they don’t want the unreliable and untrustworthy and ridiculous Obama, but they want America as glue to hold it all together.

[McGruff]

The program faces deep skepticism, including from rebels fighting inside Syria. Some rebel leaders say the force risks sowing divisions and cannot succeed without directly targeting Syrian government forces.

[Theoria]

Ah, the Rubio plan.

[freedomfiter2]

Especially since most of them will defect to Isis as soon as they complete the training.

[wright2bear]

Assad was bad, but Syrian rebels are worse. We will rue the day we took down Assad and Qaddafi.

[Starboard]

This has “unforeseen consequences” written all over it.

[TheGunny]

Yeah....what could go wrong? Sarc//

[Brad from Tennessee]

“And so let me just be very unambiguous about this. Colonel Gaddafi needs to step down from power and leave. That is good for his country. It is good for his people. It's the right thing to do.”

—BARACK OBAMA, March 3, 2011

“The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashar al-Assad is standing in their way. For the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for President Assad to step aside.”

—BARACK OBAMA, August 17, 2011