U.S. Contractors or Army Providing Training Assistance to Syrian Rebels, Confirms German Newspaper

By Admin on March 11, 2013

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by Ezra Van Auken
Germany’s weekly “Der Spiegel” wrote on Sunday that Syrian rebels are indeed already receiving direct assistance from American forces, in regards to battling in the Syrian civil war. The media organization said it was unclear whom the Western individuals worked for, whether it was a private contracting company or Army officials. Der Spiegel did say some of them were dressed in army-type uniforms.
According to Britain’s Guardian and Der Spiegel, the training camps are located in Jordan. Reuters detailed, “Some 200 men have already received such training over the past three months and there are plans in the future to provide training for a total 1,200 members of the “Free Syrian Army” in two camps in the south and the east of the country.” Apparently British and French trainers were assisting in the training of “Free Syrian Army” rebels.
Jordanian services are looking to build multiple units, totaling about 10,000 troops for the Syrian war, all of which would be non-extremist individuals – unlike many factions already fighting. “The Jordanian intelligence services want to prevent Salafists (radical Islamists) crossing from their own country into Syria and then returning later to stir up trouble in Jordan itself,” an organizer told Spiegel.
An unknown U.S. Defense Department spokesperson declined to comment on the accusations by European newspapers, unable to verify details. This hasn’t been the only time U.S. and Western governments have been pointed at for assisting the Syrian overthrow. In October of 2012, the New York Times reported that CIA operatives on the Turkish border were helping funnel weapons into Syria and identifying who specific rebel factions were.
“The United States is not sending arms directly to the Syrian opposition. Instead, it is providing intelligence and other support for shipments of secondhand light weapons like rifles and grenades into Syria, mainly orchestrated from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.”
Iraq’s national security adviser Faleh al-Fayyad has also said Qatar and Saudi Arabia’s governments have been funding rebels. “These are the same sources that finance al Qaeda,” adding, “In times of crisis, some countries use al Qaeda; some countries make peace with al Qaeda,” implying that extremists are mere tools for larger States to overpower governments like Assad’s.
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