Pentagon to provide weapons to select groups in Syria

October 09, 2015 23:13

In a change of its policy in Syria, the US today said it is abandoning the training of moderate rebels and instead focusing on providing equipment packages and weapons to a select group of vetted leaders to fight the Islamic State group.

"(Defence Secretary Ashton) Carter is now directing the Department of Defence to provide equipment packages and weapons to a select group of vetted leaders and their units so that over time they can make a concerted push into territory still controlled by ISIL," the Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said.

Pentagon received authorisation from the Congress last year to train and equip moderate opposition forces in Syria as one of several lines of effort to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which also goes by its other acronym ISIS.

The change, specified today, reflects the failure of USD 500 million project which has produced only a handful of combat ready rebels.

Cook acknowledged that from the program's inception, Pentagon has reviewed its progress, acknowledged challenges, and worked to determine how it can improve the efforts in support of partners on the ground.

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