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UP FRONTThursday 10 March 2016
US commander previews revised rebel training effort in Syria
RICHARD LARDNER have the techniques, who Gen. Joseph L. Votel, currently the head of the Special Operations Command, left, and Lt. Gen.
Associated Press have the communica- Raymond A. Thomas III, arrive on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 9, 2016, to tes-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- tions capability and the
dent Barack Obama’s resources to link back into tify before the Senate Armed Services confirmation Committee
choice to be the next U.S. our firepower,” Votel said. hearing to elevate their positions. Votel has been nominated
commander for the Mid- The trained fighters, Votel to become the commander of U.S. Central Command which
dle East sought to assure added, will present the Is- oversees military operations in Iraq and Syria against the Islam-
lawmakers a revised effort lamic State with added ic State Group. Thomas has been nominated to replace Gen.
to train and equip moder- “dilemmas.” Votel as leader of the secretive Special Operations Command.
ate Syrian rebels for the If confirmed, Votel would
fight against the Islamic take over leadership of U.S. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
State group won’t repeat Central Command, which
the same mistakes that oversees U.S. military oper-
doomed a similar program ations in Iraq, Syria and 18
last year. other countries. He would
Testifying Wednesday be- succeed Army Gen. Lloyd
fore the Senate Armed Austin, who is retiring.
Services Committee, Army Austin told the committee
Gen. Joseph Votel de- Tuesday that he’s already
scribed the new approach requested permission from
as a “thickening effort” as the Obama administra-
opposed to the raising of a tion for the retooled Syr-
large, decisive force. ian train and equip effort.
“I do think it is helpful to Austin emphasized that the
have people who have new program will focus on
been trained by us, who training smaller numbers of
fighters for shorter periods. in Syria would be vetted
During a wide-ranging and whether they would
confirmation hearing, Votel be constrained from at-
said he does not have all tacking Syrian President
the people and equip- Bashar Assad troops. The
ment required to eliminate general said that individual
the Islamic State. He said fighters would not be vet-
he anticipates needing ted prior to the training, but
“additional resources” to the leaders of those fighters
retake the group’s strong- would be.
holds in Mosul, Iraq, and The Islamic State would be
Raqqa, Syria, although he their target.
didn’t specify what he has “We’re trying to avoid is the
in mind. problem that we had the
The only U.S. ground forces last time, where we didn’t
in Syria are a contingent of know what their allegianc-
roughly 50 special opera- es are,” Votel said. “Cer-
tions troops who deployed tainly our mission is (the Is-
last year to work with lo- lamic State) and so it is our
cal Syrian fighters trying to intent that they help with
break the Islamic State’s the (Islamic State) mission.”
grip on Raqqa, the group’s Votel acknowledged that
self-declared capital. approach might limit the
A separate U.S. comman- pool of recruits.
do force is in Iraq dedicat- The committee’s Republi-
ed to capturing and killing can chairman, Sen. John
the group’s leaders and McCain, said it’s unreal-
gathering intelligence that istic to limit Syrian fighters
can be used to conduct after Assad’s forces have
follow-on raids and strikes. repeatedly attacked civil-
Votel pledged to push for ians with barrel bombs, a
the “right resources for our crude weapon used to in-
people to have to accom- flict mass casualties.
plish the missions that we The Islamic State “isn’t
are asking them to do.” barrel bombing the men,
Skeptical lawmakers ques- women and children,” Mc-
tioned Votel about how Cain said. “Bashar Assad
potential rebel recruits is.”q
