US closed centers for training Syrian rebels – RBC

Soldiers of the Syrian Free Army. Archival photo

Photo: AFP

White House, the Pentagon completed the program to train and equip the Syrian rebels. On Friday on condition of anonymity, said representatives of the administration of US President Barack Obama, writes The New York Times.

The head of US Department of Defense Ashton Carter confirmed at a press briefing in London that President Barack Obama is set to overhaul revise the program of support for Syrian rebels , reports Reuters. According to Carter, about his proposals in this regard, Obama will announce very soon.

According to sources The New York Times, Washington admitted that the program cost $ 500 million could not create ground combat group, the ability to fight ” Islamic state. ” They expect that the Pentagon officially announce the phasing of the program on Friday.

US will no longer be carried out recruiting moderate Syrian rebels for their subsequent training in Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, told the publication on the condition of anonymity, a senior US Defense Department official who was not authorized to speak publicly.

According to him, instead, the Pentagon will create a small training center in Turkey, where a small group of mostly leaders of the opposition Syrian groups will be trained to conduct operational maneuver.

Meanwhile, a senior Pentagon official who requested anonymity told reporters on Friday that the military program of the US armed and trained the Syrian rebels will not end, but will ne reorient, writes Reuters.

On the revision of the program of the Pentagon even in mid-September, reported The Wall Street Journal citing high-ranking sources in the Pentagon. They said that the US Department of Defense to reflect on in order to significantly reduce the program, which has already spent nearly $ 500 million, and instead focus on the preparation of a small number of specially trained soldiers.

The program of the Pentagon for training moderate Syrian opposition fighters – not only such program is the United States. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) also provides training Syrian rebels. After the start of the military operations of the Russian army in Syria, the Western media repeatedly reported that the position of CIA-trained rebels have been bombed Russian aircraft. Later, the media have repeatedly stated that the Russian military planes struck not rebels “Islamic state” (IG banned organization in Russia), and on the Syrian rebels.

Moscow denied these reports several times. The daily reports of attacks among the goals of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian planes are shown only rebel positions IG. President’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said that the information about the attacks on the Russian VKS moderate opposition in Syria “imposed from the outside.”