Gen. Raymond Anthony Thomas III, commander of US Special Operations
General Raymond Thomas, commander of the United States Special Operations Command, confirmed in his speech during the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado that the United States have suspended the program to arm and train the Syrian opposition.
General Thomas defended the US administration’s decision and asserted that its aim wasn’t to appease Russia.
“As I know about the program and the decision to end it, it was never appeasing the Russians,” he said. “It was, I think, based on an assessment of the nature of the program and what we are trying to accomplish and the viability of it going forward. And a tough, tough decision”.
General Thomas denied that the Commander of the United States Special Operations Command had a role in the program, but highlighted the great difficulties the CIA faced during its work on the program saying that “a sister organization, a parallel activity, that had a tough, some would argue impossible mission, based on the approach that we took”.
From its side, Russia welcomed the Trump administration decision to stop the training and arming of Syrian opposition groups.
“We welcome all the steps aimed at easing tensions and enhancing security in the Middle East,” Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department Artyom Kozhin said.
Who knows if one can believe any of this. I wouldn’t trust any one of these war mongers. If we indeed do stop ‘arming and training’ that will be a step forward. Now, if we could just stop attacking the SAA and get the Kurds to leave Arab territories, there might be some progress. Stop building illegal bases in Syria as well. I fear this is just more posturing while they come up with a more viable plan to destroy Syria and Assad…which I think is to build as many bases as they can and dare anyone to try to remove them, while the Kurds expand their territory. Turkey may turn out to be Syrias best defense against such a move.
I believe the US playing some subterfuge while they get all their ducks lined up. Which they are doing already with centralizing and combining forces in Idlib and Daraa and they are going to try to force the Russians out of the region with HTS and the FSA breaking the ceasefire. Which will in turn allow the US to bring the coalition forces to act with even more force than necessary into the region and threaten Damascus.The thing is the US has a long way to create their brand because it’s still tastes the same as brand ISIS.
The US plays fast and loose with the rules , typical dancing of the media with buzzwords and no real substance to them. They will try their best and still lose the media war, why Pompeo made an attack towards Wikileaks as out to get the US they always come out with the accusations early in the campaign.They started pushing Media agenda with such stalwarts in the CFR stable , their schtick is getting old time to get better tragic comedy writers.
I think that realizing that the Sunni axis, with ISIS and FSA, have failed in breaking and defeating the Shiite/Russia axis, US/Israel, in order to avoid a complete defeat while they still can, are already fomenting another kind of tension based on ethnic groups. Arming and pushing the Kurds and the Sunni arabs against the Shiite arabs, Turks and Persians, US/Israel will force the creation of the Kurdistan and of another major war in Middle East.
mmmm . Zionists have a long history of telling lies.
FlorianGeyer “…mmmm . Zionists have a long history of telling lies…”
For once have to agree with you.
in other words they admit that they had created and had been training and supporting terrorist organizations
Maybe some kind of regime change in the US after all, or they realize with their nation so divided they are in no position despite their military power to start a major war over Syria or Iran, or they realize they have been misled by the bankster cabal running everything to take over the Levant and that to get along better in the world they have to get back to business and fair trade despite what happens to the petrodollar.
The SFA Terrorists who look and act like Terrorists sell their US supplied weapons to other Terrorists and pocket the money.
If the US does stop arming and financing SFA Terrorists then one or many of the “Terror Axis” countries will continue to supply them.
FSA not SFA! Get it right! u sound like a damn fool when u get it wrong! https://youtu.be/fXPQLXjC_KA
But without US money the group may have to morph to SFA ( Saudi Financed Army) ?
The old adage of a week in politics – first the announcement of McCain’s brain cancer diagnosis and now CIA announcement of freezing their arm and train for FSA. Doesn’t mean US will cease pouring weapons and munitions into Syria though – will focus on SDF.
I think that they are postponing things until ISIS is defeated. From then on, perhaps they’ll try to pressure the “SDF” into going anti-Assad. All the bs about chemical weapons etcetera appear like they are “building a case” to use later. Would not be surprised if after ISIS is kicked from Syria, the Kurds get “gassed by Assad”.
Very bad sign. The last time the Americans were positive, hypocritically or not, decided in favor of the Syrian president’s stay in power, the fake chemical attack and its respective missile retribution against the Syrian government were unleashed. Only God knows the real motive behind that suspicious and unbelievable American decision, being them the same evil personified. Meanwhile God bless Syria, Russia and all his valiant ally.
FSA and it’s numerous iterations has terrible PR even in US – thanks to a degree to sites like Southfront, and despite MSMs relentless pro-Al Qaida propaganda. US needs to change the horse in the middle of the race and the Kurds are perfect replacement. Already we see and hear stories about “brave people without land”, “defenders of women’s rights”, “original Islamic liberals and democrats” – genuine Hobbits of the ME. Who wouldn’t arm, finance and air-cover such cuddly little creatures against – wait for it – “brutal dictator that gasses his own people and beautiful babies…”
Will the bases near Al-Tanf therefore be closed or are they part of some separate U.S. but non CIA program? If they were designed to secure the Syrian / Iraqi border for US interests they have failed.
I think troops will be pulled out, since they failed their main objective