Moving from one spectacular failure to the next. Nothing that the US does to counter the Islamic State will succeed until officials examine its ideology realistically. Without that, every move to counter it effectively will founder on the unreality of the State Department’s analysis.
“US scraps its $500million programme to train ‘moderate’ Syrian rebels after producing fewer than 80 soldiers, most of whom were either shot or ran away,” by Simon Tomlinson, MailOnline, October 9, 2015:
The U.S. has scrapped its $500 million program to train moderate rebels after it produced fewer than 80 fighters, most of whom had been killed or fled.
U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter said Washington would instead work more closely with capable Kurdish and other forces in Syria.
No details were immediately available, but the programme to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels to fight the Islamic State group is widely considered a failure.
Carter said at a news conference in London that the work the U.S. has done with the Kurds is a good example of an effective approach with a capable, motivated ground combat force.
He did not provide more details.
U.S. officials have said the new effort would focus more on embedding recruits with established Kurdish and Arab units, rather than sending them directly into front-line combat.
Last week, a commander of one of the U.S.-trained rebel units turned over a half-dozen U.S. vehicles to extremist militants….

somehistory says
Were the vehicles he turned over, by any chance, Toyotas?
They were paying well qualified people to *train* men and women to recognize terrorism, esp, from that not-so-peaceful group of terrorists, until the kabosh was put on truth.
A whole lot of money wasted while the beast that is not ever peaceful, has never been peaceful, grows and devours those who do not agree to worship at its ugly, evil, disgustingly dirty, feet.
Christianblood says
Folks, for Christ’s sake, let us unite in one important prayer together. Let us pray for the complete defeat of the barbaric and genocidal Syrian islamic jihadists and their American backers in Syria. Please pray for this objective in the next three weeks. Remember, as you pray for this objective, you could be saving the lives of millions of innocent Syrian Christians through your simple prayer. Please share this prayer request with others who are willing to pray for the fulfillment of this noble objective.
Thank you.
Rajaq says
Christianblood,
Welcome to JW, if you are new here.
Would pray for unseating a president who lies just about anything about the religion of peace and the pogrom against innocents especially Christians..Please pray for collapse of axis of evil.
BTW, you mentioned millions of Christians or you meant remnant of Christians?
Baucent says
He,He.. yes, you could buy a lot of Toyota Hiluxes for 500 million.
Huck Folder says
Or clocks.
Don McKellar says
$500 million.
FIVE HUNDRED MILLION.
FIVE HUNDRED MILLION FREAKING DOLLARS!!!
HALF A BILLION DOLLARS THROWN AWAY ON OBAMA’S BULLSHIT FANTASY-BASED FOREIGN POLICIES!!!
EVERY SINGLE PENNY COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED BY ROBERT SPENCER.
ROBERT SPENCER COULD HAVE SAVED THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER FIVE HUNDRED MILLION ( $500, 000, 000)!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And all that had to happen was for the US Government to have followed Jihad Watch and consulted it for foreign policy decisions based on REALITY with regards to Islam.
Barack Obama has cost the American taxpayer $500,000,000 based on absolutely NOTHING but a fantasy about Islam.
What GOOD could that money have done in AMERICA???
LET THAT SINK IN.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
You seem so angry. Let me remind you sir that conservatives like Ollie and John McCain and General Keane just yesterday were on the TV set talking about our Syrian moderate Moslem allies being sold out by Prez Hussein. So the fantasy is true, it’s a real fake reality. Does what I’m saying make sense?
johnKD says
It seems that even the reps in the US sadly have the illusion that there are “moderate” muslims in Syria. Putin makes the only real attempt bringing order to the region by eliminating these muslim rats without differentiation. He has experience fighting muslims in his own country.
Why not letting the Russians do the dirty job?They have no left wing press or NGOs who cry constantly foul when 5 “civilians” are under fire. US foreign policy is quite stupid. If your notice about McCain is true, it makes no difference which party is in power. Your nation makes me sick sometimes. Your leadership are acting like muslim dhimmies.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
If your notice about McCain is true, it makes no difference which party is in power.
There is one political coin with two sides here, the globo-socialists (Democrats) on one side, the power side, and the RINOs on the other. Just now the true conservatives are struggling to end that, and the media, including Fox RINO are working hard to stop them, using images like chaos, inability to govern, extremism etc. to describe the insurgents.
Now, I’m sure the conservatives are as pro-Moslem as everybody else in Washington, the fight is over runaway spending, government by diktat, debt, over-regulation and other hot issues unrelated to Moslems.
Raja says
JohnKD,
Awesome comment…
Porky The Crusader says
I agree with you but it’s only 50 million of the 500 milliuons they spent before scrapping the program.
Avenger says
Don, this program was spearheaded by John McCain and Lindsey Grahm. These two all American cockbites need a bullet between their eyes for treachery. Both are Saudi surrogates.
They along with GW Bush have did more damage to America and the ME than Obama. The only wild card to that statement is that Obama has over a year as prez left and a lot could happen in that short period.
Angemon says
I find this hard to believe – the government willingly shutting down a fruitless sinkhole of taxpayer’s money?
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
I find this hard to believe – the government willingly shutting down a fruitless sinkhole of taxpayer’s money?
Your skepticism is well placed. Later today the administration rushed out an update that the program is being recalibrated and not shut down totally. I too was shaken that the feds would shutdown a fruitless sinkhole of taxpayer money, that would be cheeky beyond belief. We have so many of them, hundreds, maybe thousands, so big and some modest, but all fruitless money sucking down-the-drain sinkholes of taxpayer money.
Let’s be thankful that the ever vigilant Prez Hussein was able to catch this before it got out of control.
duh_swami says
I could have trained them for half that much…The results would be the same, but look at the savings,,,
Raja says
Duh Swami,
Your comment was hilarious but on a serous note I could have raised 5000 people for the same amount. There is so much poverty across globe !!! Was US able go get only 5 people who deserted later? If that is true my numbers are 1000 times more than 5 and that is astounding hundred thousand percent !!!!!!
nacazo says
http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-worlds-silliest-empire.html
Kepha says
Well, common sense broke out.
underbed cat says
Any money left over after the training program for muslims to fight fellow muslims and was shut down. Or did they leave a tip for isis.
I wonder who actually received this money. . Refund maybe. So I guess we do need new leadership in the Republican party, one that is strict on immigration, not loose with the purse, and intelligent enough to not turn to the MB for any intelligence or data or truth. We may not be at war with islam but apparently they have declared war on us. a long time ago, passed themselves off as a religion of peace and took offense that the jihadist kept announcing they fight for you know who. Yes, Robert Spencer could have saved the U..S. lots of cash.. Except, it seems the house has been breached.
I guess I am not use to hearing figures such as reported
Mark A says
Everything foreign policy issue Obama touches seems to turn into excrement.
Check out this YouTube video which another poster put up elsewhere on JW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS5-JRTM7aU
Notice that the end credits are in Russian Cyrillic characters. Could this be the Russian view of Obama?
Susan B says
Wow is this before or after the money has been spent.
Baucent says
The central reason only 80 “freedom fighters” were trained we are told, is that the vetting process to weed out “extremists” left only 80 suitable candidates. This is the reality Obama, Carter, McCain and others have failed to appreciate; there is almost NO non-Islamist anti Assad opposition left in Syria. No Divisions of “moderate” democracy loving nationalists left. There may have been, three years ago but the last few have long since thrown in the towel and on their way to Germany.
Privately the US administration may now realise this, hence the switch in focus to supporting the Kurds, who have always been are more reliable partner.
Jay Boo says
ISIS robbed bank of $500 million.
Obama immediately asked for $500 million in (clean unmarked) bills.
strange coincidence
Benedict says
This has got to be the joke of the century. This Obama Democratic administration has to answer the peiple of the US who pay taxes as to how our tax dollars are spent. Such idiotic expenditure arming rabble to over throw a legitimate government and fight ISL. This was never going to work in the first place. Example Afghanistan. This muslim president will do anything to prop up muslim nations. Ignoring the financial mess in the country. When will common sense prevail. Some one has to go to jail for this waste of tax dollars.
James says
this is just one tinyl example of the tremendous damage this idiot has caused with his obsession with being the un-Bush, and his delusional view of reality. We must also remember to thank the 93% of blacks who for this disastrous man and the democrat party of slavery and jim crow for polishing him up to shove down throats in 2008 and 2012. Now let’s get Dr. Ben Carson in the job to be the ultimate UN-OBAMA! A black conservative would explode democrat heads!