After days of insisting that all American gear was under the “positive control” of U.S.-trained New Syrian Force rebels, the Pentagon finally admitted over the weekend that al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front seized vehicle and ammunition from the token “moderate” force.
Nearly 30,000 foreign fighters from more than 100 countries have traveled to Iraq and Syria since 2011, mostly to join ISIS, the New York Times reported, citing anonymous intelligence and law enforcement officials.
Another massive embarrassment for the Obama administration, as U.S. officials finally admitted on Friday—after days of strenuous denials—that the latest group of “moderate” New Syrian Force rebels surrendered at least some of their weapons and vehicles to al-Qaeda in exchange for “safe passage” into Syria.
Reports from several sources earlier this week claimed that the second wave of seventy “moderate” Syrian rebels trained and equipped by the United States had either surrendered or defected to the local al-Qaeda franchise, the Nusra Front. The Pentagon has cast doubt on these accounts.
Army General Lloyd Austin, in charge of the anti-ISIS war effort from the U.S. Central Command, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that only “four or five” members of the U.S.-trained moderate rebel force are still fighting the Islamic State in Syria.
The Iraqi Defense Ministry said Wednesday that an airstrike has neutralized the second-in-command of the Islamic State terror group, but the U.S. military has denied that coalition forces are responsible for carrying out an attack aimed at eliminating the jihadist.
According to a report by al-Jazeera, several American generals are skeptical that Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen will succeed.
There are signs that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIL or ISIS) is in decline as the U.S. prepares a massive attack to retake Mosul from the jihadists, according to a U.S. Central Command official.
