Posted on 07/19/2017 1:51:22 PM PDT by Enlightened1
President Trump has decided to end the CIAs covert program to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels battling the government of Bashar al-Assad, a move long sought by Russia, according to U.S. officials.
The program was a central plank of a policy begun by the Obama administration in 2013 to put pressure on Assad to step aside, but even its backers have questioned its efficacy since Russia deployed forces in Syria two years later.
Officials said the phasing out of the secret program reflects Trumps interest in finding ways to work with Russia, which saw the anti-Assad program as an assault on its interests. The shuttering of the program is also an acknowledgment of Washingtons limited leverage and desire to remove Assad from power.
Just three months ago, after the United States accused Assad of using chemical weapons, Trump launched retaliatory airstrikes against a Syrian air base. At the time, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, said that in no way do we see peace in that area with Assad at the head of the Syrian government.
Officials said Trump made the decision to scrap the CIA program nearly a month ago, after an Oval Office meeting with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and national security adviser H.R. McMaster ahead of a July 7 meeting in Germany with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
We should have never been funding Al-Qaeda, who attacked us on September 11th, 2001, in Syria in the first place. Why have the political appointees Leftist at the CIA sided with the enemy of our Republic?
All those involved in the funding should be immediately fired, arrested, all assets seized, interrogated and charged with high treason.
I love how the Leftist at the Washington Post are trying to say President Trump is working with Moscow. This coming from the same paper that whined for decades about Senator Joe McCarthy. Now they try to red scare the public.
Keep in mind too this is also the same paper that for almost a century defended the communist atheists in the Soviet Union during their 70 year reign.
Outstanding. Someone go tell Ace McCain while he is recuperating.
Good. What is a moderate rebel?
Remember, we funded the ‘rebels’ in Afghanistan against the Soviets and wound up with Bin Laden and 9-11................
Exactly there are no moderates...
They are all jihadist groups
Deep State stupidity of the highest order.
It is such “arming of rebels” which lead to the formation of Al Qaeda and 9/11 in the first place.
Everything has consequences particularly with Islam. Henry Kissinger said - the solution to one problem is often the price of admission to a whole new set of greater problems.
Good! They were all ISIS and AQ anyway. Illegal attempt to assassinate a head of state without Congressional approval.
Thanks to Jimmy Carter’s National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski.
Given that there is no such thing as "moderate Syrian rebels," the USA may save Christian's lives by discontinuing a baseless and destructive policy.
Oh, and he’s responsible for Mika and Joe as well.......................
Yep close one door and more doors open up.
Henry Kissinger also said you can have war in the middle east without Egypt..., but you cannot have peace in the Middle East without Syria.
Psycho Joe and Mika.
Mika better watch out for Joe. They don’t call him psycho for nothing.
I wonder if he intentionally waited for McCain to go under the knife before doing this....
“President Trump has decided to end the CIAs covert program to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels”
The so called “moderate Syrian rebels” were actually Muslim terrorists who formed ISIS and other terrorist groups.
ISIS was created, armed and funded by the Obama Administration.
I pray that President Trump will fully reveal what Obama , Clinton , Petraeus and other were up to in Benghazi
The “moderates” were never any major force in the “Syrian opposition”. Too much intended for “moderates” fell into the hands of the Islamist militias, and too many who were enlisted into training programs to arm “the moderates” fell to the Islamists in battles or joined them. It was NEVER a successful program. It was a Necon-McPain-Billary,Inc. program all along.
Prayers for our brave President, the last President who started touching the CIA’s stuff didn’t live past his first term.
Please Lord, We Pray for Safety of our President Donald J. Trump! May his guardian angel be ever vigilant and have plenty of backup from heaven and from your children.
Good news. Very good news.
Now prosecute those responsible for continuing this program while they were cognizant that materiel was delivered to IS/AQ. This includes but is not limited to: Obama, Clinton, McCain, Pelosi, McConnell, Feinstein, Boehner, Reid, and Patraeus.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.