U.S.-Trained Rebels in Syria Surrender Weapons to Terrorist Group

MESOP : OBAMA’S MEN SURRENDER – “AND ALL THE KING’S HORSES / AND ALL THE KINGS MEN!”

Days after a new contingent of 75 graduates of the U.S. train-and-equip program for Syrian rebels traveled to Aleppo, reports emerged yesterday that many of those rebels had defected or surrendered their weapons to Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate. The collaboration with Jabhat al-Nusra comes despite a thorough vetting process that has hindered U.S. efforts to find recruits for the program. Many of the rebels belong to Division 30, which was attacked by and later agreed to a pact with Jabhat al-Nusra after the first tranche of U.S.-trained rebels were deployed to Syria earlier this summer.

The latest setback to the train-and-equip mission comes as the United States tries to grapple with a recent buildup of Russian forces near Latakia and a push for diplomacy from the United Nations. U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura is scheduling meetings with the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to discuss a way forward. Secretary of State John Kerry downplayed concerns yesterday about Russia’s military presence, saying that, “For the moment it is the judgment of our military and experts that the level and type represents basically force protection.” This has not stopped U.S. partners from expressing their concern, and Turkey has reportedly cited the new Russian forces when pressuring the United States to implement a safe zone.