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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and chairman of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, released the following statement this morning regarding the Obama administration’s announcement to end the training of rebels in Syria: “Today, the Obama administration acknowledged what we have known for some time: the training of Syrian rebels is a failure. Now, Russia is fomenting unrest and instability to advance its own imperialistic agenda, allegedly targeting CIA-trained moderate rebels in its recent bombing campaigns. “While it is somewhat encouraging to see the administration, at long last, acknowledge the facts on the ground, it remains clear we have lost valuable time and opportunities waiting to address this situation. I fear our options moving forward are increasingly limited. “That said, the United States cannot merely bide time, hoping for ISIL to implode while overlooking the death, destruction, and damage these extremists continue to inflict across the Middle East. This isn’t a regional problem – it’s a global problem. “Nebraskans and all Americans have a simple question for the commander in chief: what’s next? It is the president’s responsibility to develop and execute a strategy that will actually achieve his stated goal of degrading and destroying ISIL. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I stand ready to provide needed oversight for any plan moving forward.” This morning, The New York Times reported the Obama administration is ending its program to train Syrian rebels: “The Obama administration has ended the Pentagon’s $500 million program to train and equip Syrian rebels, administration officials said on Friday, in an acknowledgment that the beleaguered program had failed to produce any kind of ground combat forces capable of taking on the Islamic State in Syria. “Pentagon officials were expected to officially announce the end of the program on Friday, as Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter leaves London after meetings with his British counterpart, Michael Fallon, about the continuing wars in Syria and Iraq.” The recent debate over training Syrian rebels began last month, when Gen. Lloyd Austin III., commander of U.S. Central Command, testified at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senator Fischer questioned him on the status of the program. In a stunning response, Gen. Austin revealed a scaled-back presence of only “four or five” trained Syrian rebels in the area. The administration had hoped to train a few thousand rebels within the year. Following this revelation, Fischer joined Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) in a letter to Secretary of Defense Carter last week, requesting information regarding the adjustments to this policy, which at the time was being reviewed and debated by the Pentagon. # # # |
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