Trump ends CIA arms support for anti-Assad Syria rebels - U.S. officials

[webfact]

Trump ends CIA arms support for anti-Assad Syria rebels - U.S. officials

By John Walcott

 

FILE PHOTO - Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview in Damascus, in this handout photograph distributed by Syria's national news agency SANA on September 26, 2013. SANA/Handout via Reuters/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration has decided to halt the CIA's covert programme to equip and train certain rebel groups fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, two U.S. officials said, a move sought by Assad ally Russia.

 

The U.S. decision, said one of the officials, is part of an effort by the administration to improve relations with Russia, which along with Iranian-supported groups has largely succeeded in preserving Assad's government in the six-year-civil war.

 

The CIA programme began in 2013 as part of efforts by the administration of then-President Barack Obama to overthrow Assad, but produced little success, said the officials, both of whom are familiar with the programme and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

 

The Washington Post was first to report the programme's suspension on Wednesday. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders declined to comment on the topic at the White House briefing.

 

The CIA also declined to comment.

 

The decision was made with National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and CIA Director Mike Pompeo after they consulted with lower ranking officials and before Trump's July 7 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit in Germany. It was not part of U.S.-Russian negotiations on a ceasefire in southwestern Syria, the two officials said.

 

One of the officials said the United States was not making a major concession, given Assad's grip on power, although not on all of Syria, "but it's a signal to Putin that the administration wants to improve ties to Russia."

 

Trump is under intense scrutiny by Congress and a special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether Trump's campaign had ties to the activity. Russia has denied U.S. intelligence agencies' allegations of Moscow meddling, and Trump has denied collusion between his campaign and Russians.

 

A downside of the CIA programme, one of the officials said, is that some armed and trained rebels defected to Islamic State and other radical groups, and some members of the previous administration favoured abandoning the programme.

 

Before assuming office in January, Trump suggested he could end support for Free Syrian Army groups and give priority to the fight against Islamic State.

 

A separate effort by the U.S. military effort to train, arm and support other Syrian rebel groups with air strikes and other actions will continue, the officials said.

 

However, aside from air strikes after the Syrian military launched a chemical weapons attack, the Trump administration has not increased military support from the limits set by the Obama administration.

 

(Reporting by John Walcott; additional reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-07-20

[Jingthing]

You can smell the borscht a mile away in that decision!  

[williamgeorgeallen]

great move donald. best chance syria has is for assad to take back control.

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

You can smell the borscht a mile away in that decision!  

 

But it's ok for the CIA to interfere in other countries' politics including financing, training and arming insurgents and terrorists?

 

 

[Baerboxer]

14 minutes ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

great move donald. best chance syria has is for assad to take back control.

 

Wonder who the CIA are arming, training and financing in Ukraine?

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

But it's ok for the CIA to interfere in other countries' politics including financing, training and arming insurgents and terrorists?

 

 

Loaded question. 

[williamgeorgeallen]

3 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Wonder who the CIA are arming, training and financing in Ukraine?

no idea.

[Baerboxer]

Just now, Jingthing said:

Loaded question. 

 

Or one you prefer not to answer?

[Baerboxer]

Just now, williamgeorgeallen said:

no idea.

 

Probably neither does Trump, and neither did Obama!

[Jingthing]

Just now, Baerboxer said:

 

Or one you prefer not to answer?

Take it as you like.

Similar to when did you stop beating your wife? Hmm? 

[klauskunkel]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Trump ends CIA arms support for anti-Assad Syria rebels

So that's what the two were talking about in Hamburg

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

So that's what the two were talking about in Hamburg

Probably that and other stuff, even perhaps of a urinary nature. We'll never know for sure. 

[tonray]

On this issue I support Trump's decision. It's high time we stop prolonging a war they cannot win and causing more misery.

[PhuketSarah]

23 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

So that's what the two were talking about in Hamburg

When donnie wasn't giving the universal signal for " you & me- BJ " 

Putin Dinner.mp4

[boomerangutang]

If you look down an alley in a big city, and see four groups of thugs facing each other.  Do you quickly buy a suitcase full of knives and arm one of the groups?  Which one or two do you choose?  Probably best to stay out of it, and let the thugs fight it out.  Not a great choice, but probably the best of several other choices.

[piewarmer]

One small step for man.

[tonray]

41 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

So that's what the two were talking about in Hamburg

Putin: "Hey Donald, I would not want to "piss" you off but how about some help in Syria ?

 

Trump: "Vladimir, you're a beautiful guy, really beautiful, I think we can do something.

[LannaGuy]

Very pleased about this. Those groups were ISIS infested and it was madness for the US to arm them. Look what happened after Saddam and Gaddafi and the world (and Syria) are better off with Dr Assad for now.

Edited July 20, 2017 by LannaGuy

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

But it's ok for the CIA to interfere in other countries' politics including financing, training and arming insurgents and terrorists?

 

 

Was this done due to the private meeting with Putin recently?  Maybe Trump is being blackmailed?  A conspiracy theory, I know, but a very possible one.

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Wonder who the CIA are arming, training and financing in Ukraine?

The Russian soldiers who are there on "holiday". LOL

[craigt3365]

45 minutes ago, tonray said:

On this issue I support Trump's decision. It's high time we stop prolonging a war they cannot win and causing more misery.

The US is just a small player in this war.  Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Russia are the big players.  With Russia being the #1 player.

[tonray]

1 minute ago, craigt3365 said:

Was this done due to the private meeting with Putin recently?  Maybe Trump is being blackmailed?  A conspiracy theory, I know, but a very possible one.

It's highly likely with his financial history with the oligarchs. After his bankruptcies and casino failures they were the only ones who would finance him, which is a likely reason he will never release his tax returns and also why he basically warned Mueller not to look into his family finances just yesterday.

[LannaGuy]

14 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Was this done due to the private meeting with Putin recently?  Maybe Trump is being blackmailed?  A conspiracy theory, I know, but a very possible one.

Oh dear... personally I think Alien Lizards are behind it all 

[craigt3365]

13 minutes ago, tonray said:

It's highly likely with his financial history with the oligarchs. After his bankruptcies and casino failures they were the only ones who would finance him, which is a likely reason he will never release his tax returns and also why he basically warned Mueller not to look into his family finances just yesterday.

http://www.npr.org/2017/03/22/521096579/when-is-a-deal-just-a-deal-when-trump-sells-a-property-its-not-always-clear

 

 

Quote

 

When Is A Deal Just A Deal? When Trump Sells A Property, It's Not Always Clear

 

Reuters reported recently that at least 63 people with Russian passports or addresses had spent nearly $100 million buying real estate at seven Trump-branded properties in Florida.

 

Sometimes, those buyers have had what can best be described as shady pasts, such as David Bogatin, who was identified by U.S. officials as a member of the Semion Mogilevich organized crime family in the 1990s and once reportedly owned five condos in Trump Tower in Manhattan.

 

In 2008, Trump sold a Florida mansion to Russian "fertilizer king" Dmitry Rybolovlev for almost $100 million, after buying it four years earlier for $41 million.

 

 

[kamahele]

I guess we know what that one hour undisclosed meeting between Trump and Putin was about...

[craigt3365]

Interesting.  Seems not all US involvement in Syria has been ended.  Just the CIA part.  Let's not forget Trump bombed Syria only a few months ago.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-ends-covert-cia-program-to-arm-anti-assad-rebels-in-syria-a-move-sought-by-moscow/2017/07/19/b6821a62-6beb-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?utm_term=.97232e4fcd2a

 

Quote

 

With the end of the CIA program, U.S. involvement in Syria now consists of a vigorous air campaign against the Islamic State and a Pentagon-run train-and-equip program in support of the largely Kurdish rebel force that is advancing on Islamic State strongholds in Raqqa and along the Euphrates River valley. The Trump administration’s long-term strategy, following the defeat of the Islamic State, appears to be focused on stitching together a series of regional cease-fire deals among the U.S.-backed rebels, the Syrian government and Russia.

 

One big potential risk of shutting down the CIA program is that the United States may lose its ability to block other countries, such as Turkey and Persian Gulf allies, from funneling more sophisticated weapons — including man-portable air-defense systems, or MANPADS — to anti-Assad rebels, including more radical groups.

 

 

[LannaGuy]

4 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Interesting.  Seems not all US involvement in Syria has been ended.  Just the CIA part.  Let's not forget Trump bombed Syria only a few months ago.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-ends-covert-cia-program-to-arm-anti-assad-rebels-in-syria-a-move-sought-by-moscow/2017/07/19/b6821a62-6beb-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?utm_term=.97232e4fcd2a

 

 

Indeed Trump did and a monstrous stupidity it was!

[GreasyFingers]

56 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Was this done due to the private meeting with Putin recently?  Maybe Trump is being blackmailed?  A conspiracy theory, I know, but a very possible one.

According to the article it is your conspiracy theory.

 

The decision was made with National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and CIA Director Mike Pompeo after they consulted with lower ranking officials and before Trump's July 7 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit in Germany. It was not part of U.S.-Russian negotiations on a ceasefire in southwestern Syria, the two officials said.

 

[Zack61]

To think that this all started with the illegal invasion of Iraq to serve the interest of a few and still the lessons have not been learnt.  I don't like Trump but cannot criticise this decision. Remember Charlie Wilson's war? This has the same overtones. 

[simple1]

47 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

The US is just a small player in this war.  Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Russia are the big players.  With Russia being the #1 player.

Maybe so currently at the diplomatic level, but the US has been heavily involved with funneling  arms into Syria, also bought by the Saudis, Qatar etc from the US for the various fighting groups for a number of years. With the alleged shut down of the CIA liaison organisational structure for arms supply in Syria, will it make any meaningful difference for arms supply to the moderate rebel groups. Operation Timber Sycamore provides a bit more background.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timber_Sycamore

 

The entire matter smells of BS baffles brains.