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WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is abandoning its goal of having America's military train a force of moderate Syrian rebels.
The program involved recruiting and vetting new rebels, pulling them out of Syria for training in Turkey or Jordan and re-inserting them as an infantry force into Syria. Pentagon policy chief Christine Wormuth says that effort is being "paused," and the new aim will be to equip, arm and support Kurdish, Arab and other rebel groups already fighting against the Islamic State group inside Syria.
Wormuth say the Pentagon wants to make those groups more effective, fighting in combination with U.S. airstrikes. She adds that leaders of the existing groups will be vetted to make sure they do not have affiliations with terrorist groups.
The CIA runs a separate, covert program that began in 2013 to arm, fund and train a moderate opposition to Syrian President Bashar Assad. U.S. officials say that effort is having more success than the one run by the military, which only trained militants willing to promise to take on the Islamic State exclusively.
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169-w-34-(Sagar Meghani (SAH'-gur meh-GAH'-nee), AP national security correspondent, with Senator Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H. and Defense Secretary Ash Carter and and Defense Under Secretary Christine Wormuth)--The Pentagon is abandoning its plan to build a new Syrian rebel force capable of fighting Islamic State militants. AP National Security Correspondent Sagar Meghani reports from the Pentagon. (9 Oct 2015)
<<CUT *169 (10/09/15)££ 00:34
164-a-09-(Defense Under Secretary Christine Wormuth (WOR'-muhth), the Pentagon's top policy official, in teleconference)-"specific individual fighters"-Defense Under Secretary Christine Wormuth says the Pentagon's program for building a moderate Syrian force to fight Islamic State militants is now on hold. (9 Oct 2015)
<<CUT *164 (10/09/15)££ 00:09 "specific individual fighters"
165-a-07-(Defense Under Secretary Christine Wormuth (WOR'-muhth), the Pentagon's top policy official, in teleconference)-"effective going forward"-Defense Under Secretary Christine Wormuth says the focus is now on equipping and backing Arab, Kurdish and Christian groups in Syria that are already fighting Islamic State militants. (9 Oct 2015)
<<CUT *165 (10/09/15)££ 00:07 "effective going forward"
166-a-14-(Defense Under Secretary Christine Wormuth (WOR'-muhth), the Pentagon's top policy official, in teleconference)-"their fighting force"-Defense Under Secretary Christine Wormuth says the Pentagon will identify leaders of established rebel groups in Syria. (9 Oct 2015)
<<CUT *166 (10/09/15)££ 00:14 "their fighting force"
167-a-08-(Defense Under Secretary Christine Wormuth (WOR'-muhth), the Pentagon's top policy official, in teleconference)-"in them already"-Defense Under Secretary Christine Wormuth says it makes sense to further enable established rebel groups who have had success fighting Islamic State militants. (9 Oct 2015)
<<CUT *167 (10/09/15)££ 00:08 "in them already"
168-a-13-(Defense Under Secretary Christine Wormuth (WOR'-muhth), the Pentagon's top policy official, in teleconference)-"single individual fighter"-Defense Under Secretary Christine Wormuth says the Pentagon will scour the backgrounds of rebel leaders before giving them arms and equipment for their fighters. (9 Oct 2015)
<<CUT *168 (10/09/15)££ 00:13 "single individual fighter"
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