US Providing Training to Syrian Rebels in Jordan
Sources claim the US has been coordinating training sessions for Syrian rebels in use of anti-aircraft weapons
The US has been providing training to Syrian rebel fighters on the use of sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons in neighboring Jordan, as news of the US’s formal recognition of the Syrian Opposition Coalition.
Even as President Obama announced the US’s formal recognition of the hand-picked group of Syrian exiles, he still says he will not directly arm any of the rebel groups.
But sources have told NPR that “Jordanian authorities, along with their US and British counterparts, have organized training for Syrian rebels on sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons.”
Back in October, The New York Times reported that the Obama administration, secretly and without the consent of Congress, sent more than 150 US forces to Jordan, in part to “be positioned” as a contingent force “should the turmoil in Syria expand into a wider conflict.”
Although they would not confirm whether the US directly or indirectly armed Syrian rebels, sources told NPR that “uniformed US military officials regularly meet with Syrian defectors to discuss military planning.”
But the US is apparently using defense contractors in the training programs as well.
“One Syrian rebel fighter,” NPR reports, “said he attended a training course in Jordan and that the training was not led by uniformed Western soldiers, but rather by men in plainclothes who spoke several different dialects of Arabic,” suggesting “the trainers may have been private contractors, who are sometimes used by the US for training and assembly of sophisticated weaponry.”
This would appear to connect with a CNN report this week citing “a senior US official and several senior diplomats,” that the US and some of its European allies “are using defense contractors to train Syrian rebels on how to secure chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria.”
Both reports could not confirm whether or not the US has in fact, as President Obama claims, refrained so far from directly arming the rebels. Nevertheless, the amount of covert training and coordination by the United States for the Syrian rebels in their fight against the Assad regime seems more significant than anyone has acknowledged.
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mojo
December 12th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Again.., there is nothing new here.., we said that over a year ago that this the case.., these are the old story.., until there is this falsified democracy establishment is in power, hand in hand wit the Europe Neo Fascism you will se and hear these news. Jordanian king is the puppet of the British monarchy and its been so for over 80 years. U.S government is paying these regimes to be their new training ground, Israel is the other one.
James Cole
December 12th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
News today suggests that Syria has launched Scuds against rebel position. Perhaps to avoid the newly equipped rebels sporting infantry operated anti aircraft missiles like SA-7?
News reports suggest that Syria took delivery of newer model Russian "Iskander" super sonic surface to surface missiles. These are guided weapons with various warhead packages including cluster bombs. They travel mach 6-7 and can release decoys in flight and maneuver to avoid counter measures. These are designed to kill the Turkish Patriot batteries NATO is putting in, or with precision targeting can destroy any rebel position or convoy or troop concentration.
The West has upped their support, Russia has called their bluff. Who can say that without a Russian veto of a NATO invasion that Syria would already have been bombed and invaded by NATO? Russia has moved S-400 [much better than Patriot system] to their border with Turkey as a message to NATO and their air war plans. These are long range mobile Anti Aircraft Systems, ultra modern, very effective, not even NATO planes are safe from this system. Russia seems like they are NOT going to stand for a NATO conquest of Syria. So expect a long bloody war, in fact today was particularly bloody, the gloves are coming off, this could spiral out of control. Look for Syrian launch of Iskander missiles against rebels, this will tell you the gloves are off!
Jan Burton
December 12th, 2012 at 6:52 pm
The disaster of 1980s Afghanistan all over again – anti-aircraft missiles and all.
Only this time the jihadi savages / "freedom fighters" will be causing havoc in Israel's back yard instead of in Pakistan. Look for El Al to start losing airliners in the next few years.
And all for the benefit of weakening Iran. Sickening.
Pashtin
December 12th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
On December 11, US President Barack Obama recognized the opposition coalition in Syria as the legitimate representative of Syrians. On December 12, the entire world recognized Barack Obama as the leader of World terrorism.
Ben_C
December 12th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
During the VP debate, Joe Biden mentioned something to the effect that the US was making sure all the "training" 'needed' was getting to the almighty "rebels"…so the 'training' part definitely doesn't seem 'new'.
http://youtu.be/YX8ObJwmpg8
I'm skeptical of this idea the US is seriously considering transferring "sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons" to the "rebels" (unless they're talking about more"non-lethal" 'aid') for several reasons..
Anyway, related to my last point, another aircraft carrier (this one belonging to France) has apparently arrived off the Syrian coast…
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_12_12/French-carrier-…
I'm guessing these alleged 'classes' in Jordan didn't teach the so-called "rebels' how to operate one of these…
davidgrayling
December 12th, 2012 at 10:56 pm
The USA is in its element. It's selling arms and munitions to everyone and playing both ends against the middle and helping others to kill and destroy and using contractors so it can pretend it's not involved and in general making things worse.
It must be the most devious nation on earth and the most duplicitous and the least trustworthy. It thinks that hypocrisy means someone has had a hip operation.
Hopefully it will fall soon while there is some of Earth left!
Chris
December 13th, 2012 at 6:08 am
Local national guard unit here in my town in Kentucky went to Jordan…training the terrorist huh ?
MoT
December 13th, 2012 at 6:41 am
Americans have carelessly sown to the wind for so long how much more before they reap the whirlwind?
Ralphy
December 13th, 2012 at 9:40 am
Surely training Al-Qaida in Jordan is something that could be cut from the budget if USA is looking to save money?
stu
December 13th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
America is turning eac and every Arab nation into a fundamentalist one. Brilliant strategy. The idea is to support the radical fundamentalists and keep THEM in power rather than the semi secularists.
This way the people who attacked America become our allies and will do us no harm.
Is there any limit to American naivete? Stupidity? Seff Destructiveness and plain old dumb?