Strong Senate vote for Obama on Syria rebel aid

In the heat of an election campaign, Congress cleared the way for the U.S. military to train and equip Syrian rebels for a war against Islamic State militants Thursday night, reluctant ratification of a new strategy that President Barack Obama outlined scarcely a week ago.

The 78-22 Senate vote sent Obama legislation that also provides funding for the government after the end of the budget year on Sept. 30, eliminating any threat of a shutdown. The House approved the bill on Wednesday.

Intervention that destabilizes the Middle East is a mistake. And yet, here we are again, wading into a civil war," said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. laying down a marker for Republican presidential primaries still more than a year distant.

Strong Senate vote for Obama on Syria rebel aid

America F*ck YEAH. Gonna fund and train and arm terrorists yeah!!!!!

Seems we couldn’t get the American people behind funding and training terrorists with a lie about gassing children. So now we got to create some new problem and provide the solution. AKA ISIS. Now that our new little pit-bull ISIS is reeking havoc and the American people are screaming for justice this is the perfect time to fund train and arm rebels in Syria "to fight ISIS of course" Oh and to topple the current government so we can put who we want in power and take over. Forgot that piece too.

Instead of training rebels (what, were they in the US, would be called terrorists), why don't we just continue with our "little" air-campaign and just blow the Islamic State all to hell?

I think it's all stupidity, personally. Either of the above...but, I don't understand the thinking (or lack thereof) here. We trained the Iraqi military didn't we? What became of that? ISIS? Oh...

Hm...

As the world turns...

We already know ISIS has an unsustainable ideology. Rather than bomb them, why don't we let them be and burn themselves out? Maybe then given 15 or 20 years the area can actually recover. The US going back in is just going to add more fuel to the fire and make things worse in the long run.

a reply to: kalunom

This has been about funding Syrian rebels from the start and taking over syria. Our Gov tried to fire us up with the false flag of children being gassed and we didnt take the bait. Now the create ISIS show some behedings and low and behold the American people want justice but no boots on the ground. So our Government says ok we will just train and arm the rebels to fight them. Which is exactly what they wanted from the start. To topple Assads regime and take over Syria.

a reply to: PraetorianAZ

As I've stated before...

Nothing bad can come from arming and training rebels! Look at the freedom Afghanistan achieved after we helped that rebel force fight back against the Ruskies! What about us helping Saddam against them jerk Iranians! Seriously, everything we touch turns to gold! Sweet, sweet gold!!

Yeah, this is a great decision and can only be described as win/win...

a reply to: PraetorianAZ

Yes, you're exactly right, that's the "thinking" that I don't understand. Not the thinking of our government (pretty sure I get that), but of the American people at large.

Does anyone remember why we went into Iraq? "Victory" was swift (remember the ship and banner?), then we were all appeased with "training the Iraqi military" so they could take care of themselves. All the while setting up a useless government. All in place, many years later - "rebels/terrorists" swarm, kill, and take the equipment we provided.

This is the same exact thing. I don't like to say it, but I'm glad it didn't require another 9/11. Just some horribleness far away from me and my loved ones.

I concur with Aazadan's letting them "burn out" idea.

a reply to: PraetorianAZ

So, what I think is really great about the idea of training and arming rebels...

From Fox News:

The union representing America's immigration caseworkers warned Thursday of the "real and serious threat" that Islamic State terrorists could gain entry to the United States, either by slipping through the southern U.S. border or exploiting "loose and lax" visa policies.

Palinkas specifically alleged the administration has made it easier for terrorists to "exploit" the country's visa policies and enter the homeland. He complained that the administration has "widened the loophole" they could use through the asylum system, and has restricted agents from going after many of those who overstay their visas.

FOX NEWS

Yep, nothing bad can come from this...

a reply to: PraetorianAZ

What was attached to the bill?

Anyone know? Guess I will have to go and read it. I am sure there were some riders that no one is mentioning......

Edit: Eh, so far it appears to be a huge spending bill for all of the government agencies. At the very end is the description for the Aid to the Syrian rebels......

A few interesting things on extensions of things in the NDAA, but it will take time to dig into that one....

a reply to: kalunom

I think it's all stupidity, personally. Either of the above...but, I don't understand the thinking (or lack thereof) here. We trained the Iraqi military didn't we? What became of that? ISIS? Oh...

Not really. You are trying to simplify a very complex situation and say black and white is orange. 1+1 =9. IS drew its core base from Iraqi insurgents, Iraq Al-Q, which didn't really exist until after the Iraq war. IS has taken down so many different outposts and convoy of the Iraq military that they indeed have a ton of weapons supplied by US aid. It's not as if the US trained and army and that army became and enemy overnight, although, it's not to say it's completely off base either.


But, that is what changed the style of arms supply and training that is happening right now:

The US is directly supplying FSA commanders and giving them tactical intel, by CIA assets on the ground.

Since December, when Islamist fighters overran the arms warehouses of the moderate rebel group. the covert U.S. program has been working directly with individual commanders, leaving the leadership structure here high and dry. Some 12 to 14 commanders receive military and non-lethal aid this way in northern Syria and some 60 smaller groups are recipients in southern Syria, al Bashir said. They report to the CIA.

“The leadership of the FSA is American,” says the veteran officer, who defected from the Syrian army two years ago and won respect for leading rebel forces in southern Syria. “The Americans are completely marginalizing the military staff. Not even non-lethal aid comes through this office.”

Read more here: www.mcclatchydc.com...=cpy

They are trying to prevent the past mistakes they made in Iraq, Libya and Syria. They are worried that an FSA opposition leader might gain too much power if they let them control all the aid coming in, as well as protecting against corrupt or double agent opposition agents that could be in the power structure, so they are arming and training at the lower levels on the battle field.

Which has its own draw backs as well because each region will be controlled by these people who are basically like warlords.

This has a lot of similarities to what happened in Yugoslavia...

The agenda is for war....the military industrial complex is in firm control of the government.....since Kennedy was assassinated they have screwed up just about every chance for a peaceful world and a decent life for billions of third world people......but they are making a lot of money so this somehow justifies the carnage.....not

originally posted by: PraetorianAZ
a reply to: kalunom

This has been about funding Syrian rebels from the start and taking over syria. Our Gov tried to fire us up with the false flag of children being gassed and we didnt take the bait. Now the create ISIS show some behedings and low and behold the American people want justice but no boots on the ground. So our Government says ok we will just train and arm the rebels to fight them. Which is exactly what they wanted from the start. To topple Assads regime and take over Syria.

It's amazing how transparent it is.

TPTB want Assad GONE and they don't care what the rest of the world has to say about it. It's almost like they're trying to send a message of "if we want to take you out, we WILL figure out how to do it WITH the support of our sheep."