Trump ends covert CIA program to arm in Syria, a move sought by Moscow @realDonaldTrump PUTIN PUPPEY
Trump ends covert CIA program to arm in Syria, a move sought by Moscow @realDonaldTrump PUTIN PUPPEY
Trump ends covert CIA program to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria, a move sought by Moscow
By Greg Jaffe and Adam Entous July 19 at 2:52 PM
President Trump has decided to end the CIAs covert program to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels battling the government of Bashar al-Assad, a move long sought by Russia, according to U.S. officials.
The program was a central plank of a policy begun by the Obama administration in 2013 to put pressure on Assad to step aside, but even its backers have questioned its efficacy since Russia deployed forces in Syria two years later.
Officials said the phasing out of the secret program reflects Trumps interest in finding ways to work with Russia, which saw the anti-Assad program as an assault on its interests. The shuttering of the program is also an acknowledgment of Washingtons limited leverage and desire to remove Assad from power.
More:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-ends-covert-cia-program-to-arm-anti-assad-rebels-in-syria-a-move-sought-by-moscow/2017/07/19/b6821a62-6beb-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?utm_term=.5a193ce8532d