Boots on the Ground to Train "Moderates"
Friday, January 16, 2015
We are sending 400 troops to train "moderate" Syrian rebels... finding a moderate Syrian rebel is like finding a moderate Red Sox fan...they may exist, but only in the off season. Via the Army Times:
The U.S. will send about 400 troops to train the moderate Syrian opposition, defense officials confirmed Thursday night.
This is years too late. The moderates are, most likely, all dead or assimilated into the radical groups. Also, it won't just be 400 trainers. This kind of statement is par for the course for the Obama Administration - it helps keep the perceived number of troops lower than what will actually be "boots on the ground".
In addition to the 400 trainers, enablers will be needed to support them, Smith said.
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More than 2,100 U.S. troops are in Iraq; President Barack Obama has authorized the deployment of up to 3,000 U.S. troops to that country.