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Syrian rebels alarmed by reports covert CIA aid will end
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of Financial Times


Financial Times, July 20, 2017
Posted: August 14th, 2017
https://www.ft.com/content/a35244e6-6d2e-11e7-bfeb-33fe0c5b7...

For nearly four years, Syrian rebels have clung to a programme of CIA assistance as a symbol of US support in their battle against Bashar al-Assads regime. So reports that Donald Trumps administration will stop the limited scheme to arm and train Syrias opposition forces have sparked anger and confusion. Rebels say they have not been informed of any changes to the policy introduced ... in 2013 as part of efforts to put pressure on Syrias president. According to ... the Washington Post newspaper, Mr Trump decided last month to end funding for the CIA programme. Rebels contacted by the Financial Times say their CIA interlocutors had not confirmed any change, and political opposition figures who met US officials this week say they, too, were given no hint of any change. One rebel commander who asked not to be named said US support had been waning for months but noted that the rebels had been given their salaries as normal last month. The CIA funding for rebel groups fed into two internationally backed operations that supported an array of rebel groups. Many observers and even rebels themselves criticised the programme for turning a blind eye to its funding ending up with jihadis. Rebels who received support would return to volatile territories in Syria, only to be pressed by an al-Qaeda-linked jihadi group to hand over a cut. Frankly so much of the weapons and ammunition were going to [Syrias al-Qaeda affiliate] that its probably a good thing, [an] opposition figure said.

Note: What is the CIA doing paying the salaries of rebels in Syria? For more, see this informative article. Then, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles on corruption in government and in the intelligence community.


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