Americans are training Syria rebels in Jordan: Spiegel
Source: Reuters
Americans are training Syrian anti-government fighters in Jordan, the German weekly Der Spiegel said on Sunday, quoting what it said were participants and organizers.
Spiegel said it was not clear whether the Americans worked for private firms or were from the army but said some wore uniforms. The training focused on use of anti-tank weaponry.
Some 200 men have already received such training over the past three months and there are plans in the future to provide training for a total 1,200 members of the "Free Syrian Army" in two camps in the south and the east of the country.
Britain's Guardian newspaper also reported that U.S. trainers were assisting Syrian rebels in Jordan. British and French instructors were also participating in the U.S.-led effort, the Guardian said on Saturday, citing Jordanian security sources.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/10/us-syria-crisis-rebels-usa-idUSBRE9290FI20130310
leveymg
(36,418 posts)Last edited Mon Mar 11, 2013, 07:47 AM - Edit history (1)
Like we never heard of the Mujahedin or Osama bin Laden or al-Qaeda.
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)ronnie624
(5,764 posts)will likely never have to worry about being victims of the inevitable blowback.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)benld74
(9,911 posts)Military Industrial Complex at its finest
Paul E Ester
(952 posts)They are fighting with US arms too. Whole battalions of Jihadis armed with M-16's. It's unfuckingbelievable we or our allies could be arming these monsters.
dookers
(61 posts)The story about Iranian M16s is interesting. Its a copy of the Chinese M16. Back in the 80's the US government gave the Chinese the blueprints for the M16 so that they can arm the Mujahadeen. The Chinese continue to produce the M16 to this day under the Norinco company and the Iranians copied it. Turkey and Pakistan also make copies and they're very popular in the mid east. You can tell that its an M16 copy because the shape of the pistol grip is curved and the buttstock is a different shape.
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?118705-Iranian-made-m16
bulloney
(4,113 posts)"They hate us for our freedoms," according to one of our brightest ex-presidents.
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)Have we got us a little covert action going on?
More fun for those secret CIA armies?
Selatius
(20,441 posts)In the past, in order to arm groups that you couldn't be seen supporting in public, you needed freelancers or middlemen to do the arming and dealing for you.
You just need to hide the money trail through complex laundering schemes, perhaps through corrupt banks that were allowed to get away with laundering drug cartel money.
I'm not saying that these contractors are actually being supported by the CIA, but it has happened in the past. It's equally likely these contractors are being paid by wealthy private interests in the west for whatever the bottom line dictates.
John2
(2,730 posts)private interests, who complain about wasteful spending and paying taxes on programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid? They rather export war huh?
Javaman
(62,534 posts)"Americans are not training Syria rebels in Jordan"
Just because someone says we aren't involved, doesn't mean we're not involved.