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In reply to the discussion: ISIS "tremendously well-funded". By whom? ...and why aren't we choking the funds off and prosecuting [View all]951-Riverside
(7,234 posts)47. The Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department?
[IMG][/IMG]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/syria-arming-the-rebels/
NARRATOR: But in recent weeks, they have been receiving more sophisticated weapons. It appears the Obama administration is now allowing select groups of rebels like them to receive U.S.-made anti-tank missiles, known as TOWs. Many of the fighters have filmed themselves firing the missiles. In addition to receiving weapons, the commander says he and his men were taken on a long journey to a secret training camp.
REBEL COMMANDER: [through interpreter] They asked for a group of 80 or 90 fighters from our command, and we headed towards the Turkish border.
NARRATOR: Based on their accounts, we retraced their journey across the border into Turkey. After a 14-hour drive, they say they arrived in the Turkish capital of Ankara and were brought to a hotel. They were kept inside and questioned by Americans, who would only say they were from the military. But the rebels believed they were from the CIA.
REBEL COMMANDER: [through interpreter] We met them for six to seven hours a day. It was medical examinations, questions for each person individually, like, When did you join the uprising? And What was your profession or military rank?
They had tracked our work and asked us to verify information about attacks we carried out, such as who was present and how many men were martyred. Your responses have to match the entire groups.
NARRATOR: A week later, the rebels say they were surprised by what happened next.
REBEL COMMANDER: [through interpreter] We only found out where we were going to be trained on the last day in Ankara, when the Americans said goodbye and that, Tomorrow, well see you in Qatar.
NARRATOR: They were flown 1,500 miles away to Doha, the capital of Qatar, which is a key U.S. ally in the Persian Gulf.
REBEL COMMANDER: [through interpreter] We drove for about two, two-and-a-half hours to reach the training ground. It was close to the Saudi border. We didnt know where we were because it was desert all around.
NARRATOR: Over the course of three weeks, they say they were trained by Americans at a base in the desert guarded by Qatari soldiers. Like many of the rebels who were sent to Qatar, 21-year-old Hussein had never had any previous military training.
HUSSEIN: [through interpreter] They trained us to ambush regime or enemy vehicles and cut off the road. They also trained us on how to attack a vehicle, raid it, retrieve information or weapons and munitions, and how to finish off soldiers still alive after an ambush.
NARRATOR: The rebels were outfitted with brand-new uniforms and boots.
MUHAMMAD ALI: [subtitles] Those trousers are from them, right?
HUSSEIN: [subtitles] Yeah. We got these boots in training.
MUHAMMAD ALI: The Americans were warning the fighters not to tell this story at all. And even at one point, they told them, If in any case this story will be published, we will stop funding you or arming you.
NARRATOR: The CIA and the State Department declined to comment on the fighters accounts of arming and training, though the Obama administration has said it plans to step up support to the rebels, and there have been other reports the CIA is running covert training out of Jordan.
REBEL COMMANDER: [through interpreter] They asked for a group of 80 or 90 fighters from our command, and we headed towards the Turkish border.
NARRATOR: Based on their accounts, we retraced their journey across the border into Turkey. After a 14-hour drive, they say they arrived in the Turkish capital of Ankara and were brought to a hotel. They were kept inside and questioned by Americans, who would only say they were from the military. But the rebels believed they were from the CIA.
REBEL COMMANDER: [through interpreter] We met them for six to seven hours a day. It was medical examinations, questions for each person individually, like, When did you join the uprising? And What was your profession or military rank?
They had tracked our work and asked us to verify information about attacks we carried out, such as who was present and how many men were martyred. Your responses have to match the entire groups.
NARRATOR: A week later, the rebels say they were surprised by what happened next.
REBEL COMMANDER: [through interpreter] We only found out where we were going to be trained on the last day in Ankara, when the Americans said goodbye and that, Tomorrow, well see you in Qatar.
NARRATOR: They were flown 1,500 miles away to Doha, the capital of Qatar, which is a key U.S. ally in the Persian Gulf.
REBEL COMMANDER: [through interpreter] We drove for about two, two-and-a-half hours to reach the training ground. It was close to the Saudi border. We didnt know where we were because it was desert all around.
NARRATOR: Over the course of three weeks, they say they were trained by Americans at a base in the desert guarded by Qatari soldiers. Like many of the rebels who were sent to Qatar, 21-year-old Hussein had never had any previous military training.
HUSSEIN: [through interpreter] They trained us to ambush regime or enemy vehicles and cut off the road. They also trained us on how to attack a vehicle, raid it, retrieve information or weapons and munitions, and how to finish off soldiers still alive after an ambush.
NARRATOR: The rebels were outfitted with brand-new uniforms and boots.
MUHAMMAD ALI: [subtitles] Those trousers are from them, right?
HUSSEIN: [subtitles] Yeah. We got these boots in training.
MUHAMMAD ALI: The Americans were warning the fighters not to tell this story at all. And even at one point, they told them, If in any case this story will be published, we will stop funding you or arming you.
NARRATOR: The CIA and the State Department declined to comment on the fighters accounts of arming and training, though the Obama administration has said it plans to step up support to the rebels, and there have been other reports the CIA is running covert training out of Jordan.
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ISIS "tremendously well-funded". By whom? ...and why aren't we choking the funds off and prosecuting [View all]
grahamhgreen
Aug 2014
OP
Need you ask. The friend of my enemy is sometimes my friend...especially if has lots of $$$$.
Tierra_y_Libertad
Aug 2014
#1
Apparently not "all" of it from Qatar as I assumed. Oil sales, ransoms, black mrket transactions.
pinto
Aug 2014
#4
How about those pallet loads of American 100 dollar bills that "disappeared" in Iraq
Clyde Tenson
Aug 2014
#33
My guess is those billions, or whatever, are in Swiss bank accounts under Iraqi or dummy accounts.
pinto
Aug 2014
#38
Yes, they never 'found' the 9 billion 'lost' by Bremer. But our very wealthy 'allies' in Saudi
sabrina 1
Aug 2014
#45
2/3 of their current on-hand cash, plus a butt-load of gold bullion was stolen from northern Iraq du
LanternWaste
Aug 2014
#16
Why? because with the Iraq war over (that was the big money maker) the poor weapons
Javaman
Aug 2014
#17
See that sign on the corner? Says $3.71 a gallon? If instead it showed a graph of where that
jtuck004
Aug 2014
#18
By ransom-paying countries. They killed our journalist because we wouldn't pay up.
pnwmom
Aug 2014
#21
The $60 trillion ensconced in tax haven banks gets put to use in any/all dark economies.
ancianita
Aug 2014
#22
I think they didn't invent this game, though. I think we're too quick to foreground others' games
ancianita
Aug 2014
#43
I've been preaching this on three boards. It's not being explored by government
ballyhoo
Aug 2014
#23
So, whatever came of that $9 billion cash that Bush misplaced somewhere in Iraq?
world wide wally
Aug 2014
#28
We should follow the money - it's hard to launder those kinds of sums without help from banksters,
grahamhgreen
Aug 2014
#37
If the NSA and other world intels weren't working with them, we'd probably be able to find out.
ancianita
Aug 2014
#44
And how do they do that? Running oil fields is a legitimate business, money has to go through
sabrina 1
Aug 2014
#48
Those oil fields were under the control of major Global Oil Corporations. The agreement that held up
sabrina 1
Aug 2014
#67
I wondered where they got all those flags, hollywood style 'uniforms' and the boots:
sabrina 1
Aug 2014
#49
No, you can't. At some point the monies enter the system. Not to mention hiding an oil tanker in
grahamhgreen
Aug 2014
#61
Why is those who fund these terrorist not the first and main question at news conferences?
gordianot
Aug 2014
#56
Great questions! If we could only get you on MTP:) I'm sure Chuck will get ur back!
grahamhgreen
Aug 2014
#60