Washington – U.S. Program To Train, Equip Syrian Rebels Not Ending: U.S. Official

Washington – The U.S. military program to train and equip Syrian rebels is not “ending” but is instead being refocused, a senior U.S. defense official said on Friday, ahead of an announcement on overhauling the troubled U.S. effort.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to reporters traveling with U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, said some U.S. training and vetting of Syrian forces would continue. The official did not elaborate.

The New York Times was reporting that the United States is dropping a $500 million Pentagon program to train Syrian rebels fighting the administration of President Bashar al-Assad, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing unidentified Obama administration officials.

The newspaper said Pentagon officials were expected to announce the end of the program on Friday.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter says the U.S. will announce changes to the Syrian training program within hours, saying the U.S. wants to focus efforts on working with capable Kurdish and other forces in Syria.

Carter was speaking at a press conference in London. He says the work the U.S. has done with the Kurds is a good example of an effective approach with a capable, motivated ground combat force. But he didn’t give more details.

U.S. officials have previously described an overhaul of the military’s failed effort to train thousands of moderate Syrian rebels to fight the Islamic State group. It would focus more on embedding recruits with established Kurdish and Arab units, rather than sending them directly into front-line combat.