"Skeptics instantly did the arithmetic: If that's all we get for $500 million, it comes to almost $9 million per fighter — and the trainees haven't even made it onto the battlefield yet.
Actually, a Pentagon official said, only $36 million has been spent so far, and some of that includes start-up costs for a program that still aims for 15,000 trainees — just much more slowly than expected."
What's holding up the training program? The Pentagon wanted to make sure no Islamic extremists slipped into the training pool, so it imposed a tough vetting process that scrutinized applicants one by one. Of the 7,000 applicants Carter mentioned, only about 1,700 have made it through the screening so far.
"The vetting has been truly glacial," said Fred Hof of the Atlantic Council, a former Obama administration diplomat. "The biggest fear is that one of these guys will show up in a picture with a three-foot beard, holding a U.S. antitank weapon and shouting 'Allahu akbar.' That's understandable, but it makes it almost impossible to get from here to there."
Another hitch: The Pentagon requires Syrian recruits to pledge that after their training, they would fight only against Islamic State — not against the government of Bashar Assad. Administration lawyers imposed that rule, arguing that Congress hasn't authorized military action against Assad. But for many Syrian rebels, it's a deal-breaker.
"If you insist on working only with Syrians who won't fight the Assad government, it's very difficult to find able-bodied fighters," said Robert S. Ford, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria.
So let's sum up. $500 million was authorized, but due to various speed bumps only $36 million has been spent. Contrast this with George W Bush. He promised to spend $50 billion and trillions later we're still spending.
Actually, a Pentagon official said, only $36 million has been spent so far, and some of that includes start-up costs for a program that still aims for 15,000 trainees — just much more slowly than expected."
What's holding up the training program? The Pentagon wanted to make sure no Islamic extremists slipped into the training pool, so it imposed a tough vetting process that scrutinized applicants one by one. Of the 7,000 applicants Carter mentioned, only about 1,700 have made it through the screening so far.
"The vetting has been truly glacial," said Fred Hof of the Atlantic Council, a former Obama administration diplomat. "The biggest fear is that one of these guys will show up in a picture with a three-foot beard, holding a U.S. antitank weapon and shouting 'Allahu akbar.' That's understandable, but it makes it almost impossible to get from here to there."
Another hitch: The Pentagon requires Syrian recruits to pledge that after their training, they would fight only against Islamic State — not against the government of Bashar Assad. Administration lawyers imposed that rule, arguing that Congress hasn't authorized military action against Assad. But for many Syrian rebels, it's a deal-breaker.
"If you insist on working only with Syrians who won't fight the Assad government, it's very difficult to find able-bodied fighters," said Robert S. Ford, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria.
So let's sum up. $500 million was authorized, but due to various speed bumps only $36 million has been spent. Contrast this with George W Bush. He promised to spend $50 billion and trillions later we're still spending.
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