Turkey says U.S.-led campaign to train Syria rebels delayed by Washington

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

World | Fri Mar 27, 2015 7:21pm EDT

Turkey says U.S.-led campaign to train Syria rebels delayed by Washington

ISTANBUL | BY HUMEYRA PAMUK

(Reuters) - A campaign to train Syrian opposition forces to fight hardline Islamic State militants, which was due to start this month, has been delayed by Washington, Turkey's foreign minister said on Friday.

U.S. officials have said they plan to train about 5,000 Syrian fighters annually for three years as part of a program to counter Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria. Details on the program have been scant, however, and it appears unlikely to start this month.

In Washington, the Pentagon said on Friday that about 2,200 potential recruits for the U.S. military's training program had been identified so far and more than 400 of those were in the "pre-screening process." Full screening would follow.

"Because of U.S. (geographic) distance, there has been a minor delay but everything is fine both politically and technically," Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with Turkey's NTV television, adding there was "no delay" from the Turkish side.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/27/us-mideast-crisis-training-turkey-idUSKBN0MN0NM20150327

[bemildred]

1. Good.

The old hegemon ought not be getting in bed with wannabe new ones who are about to get themselves in more trouble. We need to rebuild and restore and recuperate from fifteen years of folly and Bushite policy blunders.