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.
The new approach would instead focus on equipping and enabling rebel forces already on the ground like the Kurdish and Arab rebel groups.
"The model before was we were training infantry-type units. We are now changing to a model that will produce more military combat capability," a senior US defence official said.
Cook further said that Pentagon will continue to monitor the progress made by these groups.
"We will monitor the progress these groups make and provide them with air support as they take the fight to ISIL. This focus on equipping and enabling will allow us to reinforce the progress already made in countering ISIL in Syria," he said.
Cook also said that the US has also been arming groups already inside Syria, such as the US air-support for Kurdish fighters in the strategic town of Kobane.
"Throughout this period, working with our coalition partners, we have also pursued other efforts to partner with and enable capable ground forces motivated to take back Syrian territory from ISIL," the statement said.
"I remain convinced that a lasting defeat of ISIL in Syria will depend in part on the success of local, motivated, and capable ground forces," Carter said in a written statement.
"I believe the changes we are instituting today will, over time, increase the combat power of counter-ISIL forces in Syria and ultimately help our campaign achieve a lasting defeat of ISIL," Carter said, even as he admitted that he had been dissatisfied with the previous training program.
The Pentagon will continue to evaluate this program and expect to make refinements and adjustments over time as appropriate, the statement added.
