Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

World Video | Defence | Foreign Affairs | Natural Events | Trade | NZ in World News | NZ National News Video | NZ Regional News | Search

 

Pentagon to deploy 400 troops to train Syrian rebels

Pentagon to deploy 400 troops to train Syrian rebels

Rebel fighters take positions behind sand barricades at al-Breij frontline, after what they said was an advance by them in al-Manasher and al-Majbal areas, where forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad were stationed, in Aleppo January 5, 2015. CREDIT: REUTERS/ABDALGHNE KAROOF

(Reuters) - The U.S. military is planning to send more than 400 soldiers to train Syrian rebels to fight Islamic State along with hundreds of U.S. support personnel, a Pentagon spokesman said on Thursday.

The training mission is expected to begin in the spring at sites outside Syria, Colonel Steve Warren said. Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have offered to host the training.

The Syrian state news agency SANA said the plan showed Washington was "continuing to support terrorism in Syria". Syria's government describes all of its armed opponents as terrorists.

The training program is a part of U.S. President Barack Obama's plan to field local forces in Syria to halt and eventually roll back Islamic State fighters, while pounding them with airstrikes.

But the insurgency in Syria is now dominated by hardline Sunni Islamists, including both Islamic State and the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, complicating U.S. measures to find a suitable ally on the ground.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Warren did not offer additional details on the troop figures.

The Pentagon has estimated that it can train more than 5,000 recruits in the first year under a $500 million program, and that up to 15,000 will be needed to retake areas of eastern Syria controlled by Islamic State.

Critics in Congress have said the Pentagon program will not aid Syrian opposition forces fast enough, however, and question whether it is too small to influence the course of Syria's civil war, which pits President Bashar al-Assad's government against an array of opponents.

Across the border in Iraq, Obama has authorized more than 3,000 U.S. troops to advise and train Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

The disclosure of the planned troop deployments for the Syria training mission followed a meeting between senior U.S. officials and Syrian opposition and civil society leaders in Istanbul.

"These introductory meetings were an important step as we prepare to launch the train-and-equip program later this spring with our international partners," Pentagon spokeswoman Commander Elissa Smith said.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington, additional reporting by Tom Perry in Beirut, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
World Headlines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.