Pentagon Ending Program to Train, Equip Syria Rebels

 
By Jim Miklaszewski, Erik Ortiz and Laura Saravia

LONDON — The Pentagon on Friday will announce the official end of its failed $500 million program to "train and equip" Syrian rebels and replace it with a far less ambitious plan, defense officials said.

The "training" part of the program — which managed to field only "four or five" Syrian rebels into the battle against ISIS at a cost of about $50 million — will be halted, according to senior defense officials.

Instead of combat training for the rebels, they will now be used as "enablers" to identify ISIS targets on the ground for U.S. and coalition airstrikes. They will also be advised on how to interact with U.S. military "at a distance," and there will be no American forces on the ground in Syria.

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Source: NBC News