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Officials: Pentagon weighs protections for US-trained rebels
AP ^ | October 2nd, 2015 | LOLITA C. BALDORROBERT BURNS

Posted on 10/02/2015 7:59:14 AM PDT by Mariner

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Russia's launch of airstrikes in Syria is prompting discussions within the Pentagon about whether the U.S. should use military force to protect U.S.-trained and equipped Syrian rebels if they come under fire by the Russians."

U.S. officials said Thursday that senior military leaders and defense officials are working through the thorny legal and foreign policy issues and are weighing the risks of using force in response to a Russian attack.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter declined to discuss the problem when asked about it this week. But U.S. officials acknowledged that this is one of the questions being asked as they debate the broader dilemma of how the administration should respond to what White House press secretary Josh Earnest described as Russia's "indiscriminate military operations against the Syrian opposition."

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss ongoing deliberations publicly.

(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: armingisis; ciaoperation; eu; fundingterrorists; nwo
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To: The Toll
"They are terrified that the supposed “Free Syrian Army” will release the details of the covert Sarin Gas/False Flag (Obama’s Red Line) attack from three years ago."

Remember the olden days when the US Left would be up in arms over covert US support for anti-communist dictators? Secret wars?

Now, strangely silent when we have an administration whose objective is to diminish US standing, betray US allies and further the objectives of our existential enemies.

21 posted on 10/02/2015 8:50:08 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18 - Be The Leaderless Resistance)
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To: Mariner

‘At U.N. headquarters in New York, Secretary of State John Kerry said: “What is important is Russia has to not be engaged in any activities against anybody but ISIL. That’s clear. We have made that very clear.”’

They just did, in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan. You can’t do a damn thing about it either, in a fashion reminiscent of Little Miss Muffet. Yours and McCain’s little pet terrorists are going to die. Can you say, ‘DIE’? Just to make things very clear, in a fashion reminiscent of Mr. Rogers.


22 posted on 10/02/2015 9:04:23 AM PDT by Psalm 144 (Obamacons: The degenerate and venomous issue born of intimacies between Obama and neocons.)
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To: Mariner
Yeah, that's a great idea. Let's double down on stupid.

As a reminder, these are the guys who last week defected to ISIS:

Pentagon Admits: U.S. Gear in Qaeda’s Hands (9/25)

“The generals swore that all of their weapons to fight ISIS were in the hands of their Syrian allies. Then, abruptly, the brass changed its tune.

The U.S. military’s Central Command admitted Friday that a Syrian fighter trained by U.S. forces handed over six vehicles and ammunition to an al Qaeda intermediary, “purportedly in exchange for safe passage within [his] operating area.”

It marks one of the first times the U.S. has admitted that its equipment had fallen into the jihadist group’s hands.

The generals swore that all of their weapons to fight ISIS were in the hands of their Syrian allies. Then, abruptly, the brass changed its tune.

As recently as Wednesday, officials had said they were aware of where“100 percent” of the weapons were. As it turned out, a commander trained to fighters had already handed over the equipment to Jahbat al Nusra, an al Qaeda affiliate operating in parts of western Syria.

The missing equipment accounted for 25 percent of what was provided to a class of 71 U.S. trained fighters, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

The announcement was the latest embarrassment for the already embattled train and equip program, which once aimed to train 5,400 fighters a year to confront the self-proclaimed Islamic State. Instead, last week CENTCOM commander Army Gen. Lloyd Austin admitted that only trained “four or five” fighters were in Syria, out of an initial class of 54 trainees.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/25/pentagon-admits-u-s-gear-in-qaeda-s-hands.html

23 posted on 10/02/2015 9:07:14 AM PDT by mojito (Zero, our Nero.)
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To: Mariner

The “rebels” bombed the US Pentagon
which now pleads to protect them.

Who will protect the American People?
Not the Pentagon. Not the White Mosque.
Not the submissive, complicit, lying GOP.


24 posted on 10/02/2015 9:14:01 AM PDT by Diogenesis ("When a crime is unpunished, the world is unbalanced.")
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To: Mariner

“Officials: Pentagon weighs protections for US-trained rebels”

Both of them?


25 posted on 10/02/2015 9:14:04 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Jews For Cruz)
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To: Mariner

“U.S. trained rebels” means we’ll be fighting them next, as usual. Might as well let the Russians take them out now.


26 posted on 10/02/2015 9:22:40 AM PDT by Wolfie
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To: Mariner

Lots of chatter 3 weeks ago, not much lately.

http://investmentwatchblog.com/china-accuses-the-u-s-of-lying-about-syria-and-says-u-s-ignoring-international-laws-china-sends-warships-to-syria-joining-russian-warships-in-mediterranean-sea/

http://www.examiner.com/article/chinese-russian-warships-and-marines-heading-to-syrian-waters


27 posted on 10/02/2015 9:28:35 AM PDT by wrench
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To: Mariner

I think all they have done is sent air and naval assets, and I think they will just sit there, assuring that the EU-US think very carefully before doing anything, and also to remind Russia that they, too, are being watched. I can see China doing nothing beyond sailing in and then sailing out again once the terrorist organizations have been dealt with, simply acting as a suspended threat.

FWIW:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-27/us-ropes-china-join-russian-military-syria-while-iraq-strikes-intel-deal-moscow-tehr

Here is an article presenting China’s guarded perspective:
http://www.chinausfocus.com/peace-security/chinas-role-in-syria/


28 posted on 10/02/2015 9:30:07 AM PDT by Psalm 144 (Obamacons: The degenerate and venomous issue born of intimacies between Obama and neocons.)
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To: wrench

I know they sent a couple of ships for a joint exercise, but no assets in Syria.


29 posted on 10/02/2015 9:33:00 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18 - Be The Leaderless Resistance)
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To: Mariner

They also steamed several ships toward Syria when 0bama had his first run in with Putin. That was the one where Kerry ran his mouth and Putin called his bluff.

I am not sure they intend to stay out of the fight.

It appears the Chinese may just have better OpSec than the US.


30 posted on 10/02/2015 9:36:14 AM PDT by wrench
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To: The Toll

**The Sarin came from Libya via Obama rat lines.**

I believe Benghazi has to do with chemical weapons as well.


31 posted on 10/02/2015 9:39:03 AM PDT by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God. ROLL TIDE!!)
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To: Mariner

**In this case they are using the amorphous term “Pentagon” to describe the political appointees of Obama there.**

We are neck deep in the Twilight Zone. We’ve got people in the Pentagon more interested in wanting to dress up like Barbie. All the good ones have been weeded out long ago.

Can you imagine how many people Patton would be slapping now? He’ll he’d probably be shooting them with his sidearm by now.


32 posted on 10/02/2015 9:48:20 AM PDT by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God. ROLL TIDE!!)
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To: Mariner
What about all those Russian SA-7b ‘Grail’ manpads the CIA scooping up in Libya? It would be poetic justice for the anti-Assad mob to fire those at Russian jets.
33 posted on 10/02/2015 9:59:05 AM PDT by Brad from Tennessee (A politician can't give you anything he hasn't first stolen from you.)
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To: opentalk

**...He said: “It turns out that only 60 of these fighters have been properly trained, and as few as four or five people actually carry weapons. “The rest of them have deserted with the American weapons to join ISIS.”**

And guess where he got that info? Right out of the mouth of our Head of Central Command, Gen. Austin, at the Senate Arms Services Committee on 9/16/15.


34 posted on 10/02/2015 10:42:55 AM PDT by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God. ROLL TIDE!!)
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To: House Atreides

I’m ready to throw a brick at my radio. Rush won’t get off the fact that the Vatican is backing off the big deal made about the Pope meeting with Kim Davis? So what? She’s not even Catholic. Our little sociopath and his dress up queens at the Pentagon are about to get us in a War with Russia over 5 rebel forces!


35 posted on 10/02/2015 10:47:23 AM PDT by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God. ROLL TIDE!!)
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To: lacrew
 photo drstrangelove4_zpsc17ro6sh.jpg

"Well Boys, I reckon This Is it... Nuclear Combat Toe to Toe With the Ruskies!"

36 posted on 10/02/2015 10:48:45 AM PDT by PeteePie (Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people - Proverbs 14:34)
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To: Mariner

Source: DEBKA File hence the “maybe”.


37 posted on 10/02/2015 2:16:40 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (CA the sanctuary state for stupid.)
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