Thousands of FSA rebels were trained in a covert CIA programme in Turkey and Jordan.
Reuters: Syria rebels blindsided by U.S. move, say jihadists to benefit
BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian rebels said on Thursday a U.S. decision to halt a covert CIA program of military aid would mark a big blow to the Syrian opposition and risked allowing jihadists to tighten their grip over the insurgency.
Rebels who have received aid under the CIA program said they had yet to be informed of the U.S. decision first reported by the Washington Post on Wednesday and confirmed by two U.S. officials to Reuters.
A Free Syrian Army (FSA) commander said the U.S. decision risked triggering the collapse of the moderate opposition, which would benefit President Bashar al-Assad and jihadists linked to al Qaeda that have long sought to extinguish more moderate groups.
Other rebel sources said much would depend on whether U.S.-allied regional states Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey kept up their support to groups fighting under the FSA banner, which had been the focus of the CIA program.
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Update : In Syria, the U.S. Reverses Course (Stratfor)
WNU editor: President Trump's critics are saying that this decision dooms the Syrian rebel movement .... Trump’s CIA Decision Dooms Syrian Rebels (US News and World Report), and that it is a win for Russia/Iran/and Assad of Syria .... Analysis: Trump's cutoff of aid to Syrian rebels marks victory for Assad, Russia and Iran (Oren Dorell, USA TODAY). I say the opposite .... U.S. assistance was too late and inconsistent to begin with, the Syrian rebel movement itself was (and is) deeply fragmented, and for Syria/Iran/and Russia .... they are now involved in a quagmire that will take years (if ever) to quiet down. This Washington Post analysis gives a good explanation on why this CIA program did not only fail, but probably caused more problems than good .... What the demise of the CIA’s anti-Assad program means (David Ignatius, Washington Post).
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