Trump ends covert CIA program to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria

The Washington Post ^ | 07/19/17 | Greg Jaffe and Adam Entous

[Enlightened1]

President Trump has decided to end the CIA’s 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 Trump’s 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 Washington’s 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.

[InterceptPoint]

As expected. This was all agreed to by Trump Jr. via secret coded messages embedded in his email exchanges with his Russian buddies.

Of course I could be wrong about that. Perhaps it was just a smart decision by Trump. Actually, now that I think about it I’m betting on the Smart Trump Scenario. The WP and CNN will probably go with the Trump Jr. version.

[I want the USA back]

Guess it’s not covert any more.

[MarchonDC09122009]

You are Absolutely correct.
USA Special forces have made it known that they detested training Al-Nursa “ anti-Assad rebels” who later were found to be joining ISIS.
Our involvement in Syria was at the behest of Qatar & Saudi Arabia to help them overthrow Assad, and in turn build a Gas pipeline to Europe.
We helped MURDER THOUSANDS of innocent Christians as a result of our creating, funding, training and supplying ISIS.
Obama is a Monster and America owns the ISIS horrors of girls raped to death, mass beheadings, children mashed up in Commercial bakery mixers, MILLIONS of Syria ref/rape-ugees invading Europe, and people being burned to death.

RE: “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.”

[Governor Dinwiddie]

#13 "Mika better watch out for Joe. They don’t call him psycho for nothing."

Did Joe Scarborough kill Lori Klausutis?

"My name is Lori Klausutis - I was an Intern for Joe Scarborough but I was found dead in his office and nobody remembers."

[onedoug]

And the CIA’s sterling record with such programs....

[Lorianne]

Good. Now if the DoD would stop arming AQ and other assorted “rebels” we’d be on the right track.

[Lorianne]

Remember this?

In Syria, militias armed by the Pentagon fight those armed by the CIA

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-cia-pentagon-isis-20160327-story.html

[risen_feenix]

Crossing the spooks at Foggy Bottom?

Trump just volunteered for assassination by the service that makes the others nervous. You don’t reign in the CIA without consequences.

[Retired Chemist]

Was that the program that spent millions to train 5 people?

[Bookshelf]

By Greg Miller October 2, 2013  The CIA is expanding a clandestine effort to train opposition fighters in Syria amid concern that moderate, U.S.-backed militias are rapidly losing ground in the country’s civil war, U.S. officials said. But the CIA program is so minuscule that it is expected to produce only a few hundred trained fighters each month even after it is enlarged...

[Grampa Dave]

Oh, and he’s responsible for Mika and Joe as well.......................

For now, until the real Enquirer comes out: "Oldest Profession Mika,"The Morning Show HO exercises for her guests and her pimp, Krazy Killer Joe!

Be careful "Oldest Profession Mika"! Are you on the desk that a young woman hit her head on and killed herself?

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

"...program to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels battling the government ...."

Are these the rebels we see riding unicorns into battle?

[CivilWarBrewing]

WINNING! and outstanding because as well ALL know, arming these so-called ‘moderate rebels’ (who always say ‘ALLAH AKBAR’ when firing their weapons) was the Deep State’s way of ARMING ISIS to perpetuate the global war on Caucasian Christian Culture.

[freedomfiter2]

You’re too generous. They should be secretly handed over to Assad. They are responsible for the murder of hundreds of thousands. Also, supporting the NWO should also be a capital crime.

[Garth Tater]

I’m good with that, except I would like a public trial before handing them over to the Syrian government - both as a matter of principle (rule of law) and as an educational opportunity for the general public. Not that most of the brain befuddled masses could pay attention long enough to learn anything. And come to think of it, I guess we’re pretty much past the rule of law these days too, so yeah, let’s go with your idea.

[lizma2]

I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE THAT WAS STILL GOING ON AFTER BENGAZI!!!!

“Of course we lied to the American people about the video to cover up our illegal gun running, they are too stupid to know what’s good for the democrats.”

[SueRae]

Why is a “covert” operation being seen in the news?

[MAGAthon]

what good news.

[libertylover]

phasing out of the secret program reflects Trump’s interest in finding ways to work with Russia

Using this to push their "Trump is a Russian agent" story, but really, it reflects that Trump recognizes that "there ain't no good guys in this war".

[mrsmel]

That's just it, Russia isn't the USSR anymore, now they're at least an ostensibly Christian nation, and they won't succumb to the depraved sodomite agenda, so once again, the left wakes up and writes history anew. All those years that they and their “pet” FDR schmoozed up to “Uncle Joe” were when he was a communist murderous thug, Now, how deep it really goes I couldn't say (are abortion rates still high among Russian women?) , but Russia at least is throwing off the “human secularist” shackles of state-ordained atheism, and turning back to her historical church, and I have to believe that at least some of them are sincere about the Christianity aspect, and not just the reclamation of their history. The majority of Russians oppose sodomite “mirage” And certainly aren't going to be browbeat into it by the West. The Left, and more importantly their globalist masters, can't sit still for this, as the sodomite agenda has been shown to be one of their most effective tools in undermining the family, and thereby (eventually) undermining nation-states.

In short, it's not hard to see why they'd consider present-day Russia a threat to their globalist plans, while Communist Russia (the “Internationale”) was a useful rung on their globalist ladder to the peak of power.