“Moderate” Syrian forces could take four years or more before they begin to have a major effect on Islamic State terrorists or the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, a top Pentagon official said today. Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael Vickers said progress in Syria would depend on how long it takes for a “critical mass” to develop among the U.S.-backed fighters, which the Pentagon plans to train in Turkey and Saudi Arabia. He was also asked about how the U.S. could avoid the pitfalls of Afghanistan in the 1980s, where the U.S. backed the anti-Soviet mujahidin and helped eject Russian troops — but then had to fight many former mujahidin fighters when they became the Taliban. “It’s a daunting military problem or intelligence problem,” Vickers said. “If you look at the history of these things, to be very, very successful is a challenge.” Vickers reminded attendees at the Defense One Summit that President Barack Obama has said he expects to hand off the wars in Syria and Iraq to his successor.” — Philip Ewing https://politicopro/defense/whiteboard/?wbid=44265
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 20:42:08 +0000
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