Most recently Pentagon announced that 400 U.S. military "trainers" with unspecified number of support troops are being sent to Syria to help train Syrian rebels. The announcement did not say just who these "trainers" were, whether they were Army, Navy, or Marines. Knowing how Pentagon operates, it usually requires at least three support personnel for each combat or in this case, "trainer" personnel, so I imagine the entire group is about twelve hundred or so U.S. troops.
Frankly, I am somewhat puzzled by this move at this stage of the game in Syria. I hope we have been able to identify "good guys" from the bad, since among the so-called rebels, there are not only ISIS or ISIL, but Hamas, and possibly other extremist groups including Al Qaeda. Supposedly we are going to help the "not-so-radical" rebels, let's hope so! My puzzlement over this latest move by Pentagon is based on the fact that the civil war in Syria has been going on for almost four years, since the so called "Arab Spring" of 2011. As I recall, there was a lot of indecision on the part of Washington as to what to do, whether to provide air support or not, create a no fly zone, etc. There were those who insisted from the beginning that we should immediately throw our support for the rebels, after identifying the ones that are not radical. Senator John McCain was one who felt that we should even put boots on the ground. He was, of course, ridiculed by the media along with other "hawks" who insisted that we help the rebels. However, since it appeared that majority in Washington did not want to do anything, we did not take action. Now, almost four years later, and with ISIS becoming a serious threat in Iraq, we are sending "trainers" to Syria!
What exactly are we trying to accomplish in Syria? Are we training these "good" rebels to topple the government or to fight ISIS and Hamas? Does the White House and Pentagon seriously think that 400 "trainers" with support personnel will work magic and turn the tide of the civil war or eliminate ISIS? To me, it seems like a lame gesture just to show that we tried to do something! It is sort of like what Secretary of State John Kerry just did when he visited Paris and laid a wreath and kissed the French President. We could have made a much better showing by participating in the Solidarity March that took place a week earlier, but we sent no one from Washington, we couldn't be bothered then. Now, some six days later, Kerry shows up to lay a wreath and smooch Francois Hollande on both cheeks. It is akin to shedding crocodile tears! I seem to be missing the whole point in this diplomatic exercise, a simple formal apology would have been better in my view! I am also missing the point of our sending "trainers" to Syria now.
I fail to see the purpose of sending military "trainers" to Syria at this late stage. If the purpose is to train them to fight ISIS, which I suspect is the real reason, then it is a very poorly hatched plan and a short sighted goal. In order to achieve any sort of success, we not only have to train the rebels, but continue to train and lead them in battle. They will not be able to defeat ISIS on their own, ISIS has better training and support! So, to be successful, we will have to stay in Syria and continue with this counter - counter insurgency operation. The minute we step out, leave the area, the whole process will fall apart! The only way this can work is if we continue to support the rebels, provide training and material, as much as needed. If more troops are needed, then we should provide more troops. So that means we have to be committed and keep our troops (trainers) in Syria for the duration and increase their numbers if needed, until ISIS is cleared out of the region. Are we willing to do that? Are we willing to commit for the duration? Not likely.
I know that I sound very callous and pessimistic, but I believe we are just wasting more money and possibly American lives. What will emerge from this exercise is that we will pour-in millions and millions of dollars and equipment, possibly lose some lives, and in the end not accomplish our goal. We will make some rebels rich, no doubt some of the rebel leaders will become "former" rebels who will be living as millionaires elsewhere, may be even in America!
In order to succeed in these counter insurgency efforts, we have to be committed for the duration, whatever it takes to complete the task. We have not shown that we are willing to do that, not as a country or as a government. Recent history (post World War Two) shows that we do not have the sticking power, the willingness to see things through to the end. We bailed out of Vietnam, as we are trying to do in Iraq and Afghanistan, which no doubt we will do regardless of consequences.
During our previously "longest" war, Ho Chi Minh often said to his followers that all they needed to do was wait us out, that we did not have the patience nor the willingness to see things to the end. He said something to the effect that, "Americans count time in hours and days while we Vietnamese count time in years and decades." It may sound a bit like something from a fortune cookie, but who knows, may be Ho had something there!
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