Congress inches closer to handing Pentagon $350 million for Syrian rebels
Sen. John McCain signs off on aid request blocked after last year's effort ended in a debacle.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Congress is inching closer to handing the Pentagon another $349 million to train and equip a new group of Syrian rebels after last year's effort ended in abject failure. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., released his hold on the money April 27 just as the House Armed Services Committee was voting to reauthorize the program as part of its defense bill for fiscal year 2017.
"On the issue of the reprogramming, yes I was, quote, blocking approval of the reprogramming until yesterday when I had a very excellent briefing from [Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph] Dunford that cleared up the concerns that I had," McCain said at an April 28 hearing on the Islamic State (IS) with Dunford and Defense Secretary Ash Carter. "And why did I have those concerns …? It's because when we spent a couple of hundred million dollars the last time, the commander of Central Command testified before this committee that we had four or five people left."
The gradual reassessment in Congress follows a Department of Defense lobbying blitz to convince skeptical lawmakers that the US-trained forces are crucial to defeating IS in Syria. Carter in particular has made clear his frustration with congressional "micromanagement" through a funding process that requires approval by the House and Senate Defense authorization and appropriation panels, which have been sitting on the Pentagon's latest reprogramming request since last month.
