After a number of embarrassing setbacks, the Pentagon plans to scale back its $500 million program to train and arm Syrian rebels to fight the Islamic State group, the administration said Friday, reported Reuters.
Instead, beginning in the next few days, efforts will be refocused on supporting existing rebel groups in Syria rather than creating new groups from scratch.
"It's being refocused in a new direction," a senior defense official told The Wall Street Journal. "It's not ending, it's being refocused to enhance its effectiveness."
The change highlights the failure of the Pentagon's flagship effort in the war against the militant group in Syria. The program experienced long delays before its launch this spring and was quickly beleaguered by problems. The first group of U.S.-trained rebels disbanded soon after going into battle, with some being captured or killed by rival rebel groups and some fleeing. Another U.S.-created outfit gave their weapons and equipment to a local extremist al-Qaida affiliate, while the latest effort only yielded a handful of combat ready fighters, according to The Washington Post.
Under the new approach, established and vetted rebel groups will be given weapons and equipment packages "so that over time they can make a concerted push into territory still controlled by" the Islamic State group, according to a Pentagon statement.
The Pentagon added that with communications gear provided to the rebels, it "will monitor the progress these groups make and provide them with air support as they take the fight" to Islamic extremists. "This focus on equipping and enabling will allow us to reinforce the progress already made in countering [the Islamic State group] in Syria."
"I remain convinced that a lasting defeat of ISIL in Syria will depend in part on the success of local, motivated, and capable ground forces," said Defense Secretary Ash Carter. "I believe the changes we are instituting today will, over time, increase the combat power of counter-ISIL forces in Syria and ultimately help our campaign achieve a lasting defeat of ISIL."
