The covert CIA program training and arming Syrian rebels to fight the government of Bashar al-Assad has been ended by President Trump, U.S. officials tell the Washington Post.
The decision to phase out the Obama-era program was reportedly made by Trump during a White House meeting last month with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and national security adviser H.R. McMaster.
“Officials said the phasing out of the secret program reflects Trump’s interest in finding ways to work with Russia, which saw the anti-Assad program as an assault on its interests,” the Post states. “The shuttering of the program is also an acknowledgment of Washington’s limited leverage and desire to remove Assad from power.”
The officials said the move by Trump will not end a similar Pentagon program leveraging Syrian rebel fighters against the Islamic State. Some of the CIA-backed rebels may also be redirected to the Pentagon effort as well.
Trump’s new direction in Syria was followed shortly after by the announcement of a cease-fire in southwest Syria with Russia following his one-on-one with Vladimir Putin. Trump also stated earlier this month the potential for a second cease-fire in the region.
“We are working on the second cease-fire in a very rough part of Syria,” Trump said. “If we get that and a few more, all of a sudden we are going to have no bullets being fired in Syria.”
While some officials speaking to the Post decried Trump’s decision, the program proved highly-controversial since its inception given countless reports revealing so-called “moderate rebels” jihadi ties.
