The multi-year CIA arms smuggling program in Syria was one of the most embarrassing failures of the US war there, and that’s really saying something. Massive amounts of arms were shipped to Syria with little accountability, and subsequent studies have shown a lot of the arms ended up with ISIS, al-Qaeda, and other Islamist factions.
But there’s no idea so bad they might not try it again, at least that’s the reasoning of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), who have sent a delegation to court the US about the possibility of restarting the program.
The pitch centers on President Trump’s hostility toward Iran, with the FSA arguing that a great way to prove how much he hates Iran would be to resume arming the Sunni rebels in Syria to fight against Iran and their allies.
Its not clear how this wold even conceivably work at this point, however, with most of the rebels holding little to no territory in Syria, and the CIA never particularly good at making sure their arms get to the intended factions. Resuming the smuggling would likely just compound the problem of US arms making the rounds to various Islamist factions that will ultimately use them to fight the US.
I bet that was very profitable for them. If they are smart and kickback 10% or so to carefully chosen congress critters there is no reason at all why this idiotic scheme can’t work (for them at least)
Like it or not, this new assemblage of various mercenary fighters are largely loyal to the money. When they get enough put away, they quit. Because they don’ t want the wives to spend their money with another man after they get killed… They tried to do it in Vietnam, it failed there, in Iraq it didn’t work the way intended, in Afghanistan they aren’t even trying. Afghans are a separate people, more like Americans than Arabs.
Send them something they really need… A stick with a white cloth to hang from it.
It’s over, boys.
As if the aforementioned letter agency never intended ISIS any arms….. Sure…Just like our Air “accidently” bombed the Syrian base at Dier El Zior, breaking the Kerry/Lovrov truce after less than a week, and, by the way, allow ISIS to escape their encirclement and join their comrads in a safer readoubt.