During a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday, US Central Command Head Gen. Lloyd Austin had just finished admitting the great majority of some 5,400 Syrian rebels tagged for the US's train and equip program had dropped out when he let something else slip.
Apparently hoping to defend the rebel program to piling skeptics, Austin said the following:
“What our special operations forces have done in northern Syria is they didn’t wait for the New Syrian Force program or train and equip program to fully develop,” Austin said, referring to the U.S.-trained Syrian rebels. “At the very onset, they began to engage elements like the [Kurdish] YPG and enable those elements, and they are making a difference on the battlefield.”
Plenty of people have criticized the US stratgy in Syria. America's Assad-less scope in the country has many rebel groups unwilling to commit manpower to train and equip programs. Meanwhile, a year-old air coalition against Daesh (ISIS) appears to have done little so far to actually beat the group back.
But if there's one thing that's remained concrete throughout the whole process, it's that American forces are not on the ground in Syria, a sticking point for both American and international onlookers alike. US Republicans have for months called for ramped up US military action, but even earlier this month when US Secretary of State John Kerry said ground forces were needed to combat Daesh (ISIS) in Syria, he followed by clarifying those troops would still not be American.
That's why Austin's remark was so shocking. For the first time, it appeared the official was changing that narrative, suggesting US special operations forces were in fact inside Syria, fighting alongside Kurdish troops.
BREAKING: Defense officials tell NBC News that US special ops. forces are on ground in Syria assisting Kurdish forces in fight against ISIS
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) September 16, 2015
Hours later, the Pentagon released a press release for clarification. Read it below.
UPDATE: U.S. CENTCOM clarifies earlier testimony, says "there are no U.S. military forces on the ground in Syria". pic.twitter.com/OQuoAMbLnT
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) September 16, 2015
At least according to the statement, Austin's comments were little more than a slip of the tongue. But it's important to note that US has engaged in limited ground operations in Syria already — in May, Central Command announced publicly the ground operation that allegedly killed Daesh operative Abu Sayyyaf.
But perhaps the revelations wrapped into the official's other statements at the hearing should be what we focus on here. The US's train and equip program for 5,400 Syrian rebels came with a price tag of $500 million. Of 60 fighters trained so far, only five remain on the battlefield today.
Unlike Austin's ground troops blunder, one thing is clear this week — with a feeble fighting force on the ground and microscopic airstrike gains, US's plan for Syria moving forward is still about as clear as mud.
