U.S. training Syrian Rebels how to administer 'liberated' towns

[EmperorScorpious]

[QUOTE]As more areas in Syria slip from control of the Syrian military, the United States is training local opposition members how to run a local government free from the grip of the Assad regime.

[B]The State Department says it is running "training programs" for the members of opposition local coordinating councils in "liberated" areas who are beginning to re-establish civilian authority. The programs help them on issues of civil administration, human-rights training and other services.[/B]

The council members are learning "the kinds of things that they might need from the international community as they begin to rebuild their towns," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in her Wednesday briefing.

"They're asking for help in how to budget. They're asking for help in how to keep utilities running. How to ensure that the institutions of the state that, you know, provide services to the population, come back up and running. So we are open to supporting all of those kinds of needs," she explained.

Nuland called it a "first round" of training, tailored to help form a nascent democratic society, even before President Bashar al-Assad is gone.

[B]"It also gives us an opportunity," she said, "to talk to them about inclusion and protection of minorities and all those things." The first step is to assess the need, she explained. Training could get more detailed as the opposition requests what it needs from the international community.[/B]

[B]Concerned for the security of the new administrators, State Department officials are reluctant to provide details of the training programs, but Nuland said the department is running the programs outside of Syria for those who can exit and return to Syria. For those who remain inside Syria, there are what she called "pretty extensive contacts."[/B]

In addition, the department runs programs in Istanbul that train Syrian student and women leaders, as well as members of the media, in areas like justice and accountability.

Just how much of Syria is out of regime control is unclear. Nuland said it is a "mixed picture."

"Great swaths" of the country have now been wrenched away from the regime in the north and the east and, increasingly, between some of the major towns, she said, but the fighting is intense in Aleppo, Damascus and some of the major population centers.

The opposition, however, remains deeply divided, unable to form a cohesive front let alone a transitional government. Tuesday a top member of the opposition Syrian National Council, Bassma Kodmani, currently residing in Paris, quit the organization.

[B]Nuland sidestepped questions about the Syrian National Council's disorganization, saying only that Kodmani "made absolutely clear that she intends to remain committed to the cause of a new day, a democratic day, in Syria. So how she chooses to do that is obviously her decision."[/B]

[B]The United States, she said, "from the beginning" has seen the council as "a legitimate representative" of the opposition movement, "but we never embraced them as the sole representative because the Syrians themselves had a number of other groups."[/B]

For now, the Obama administration appears frustrated at divisions between the "external" opposition - those located outside of Syria - and the "internal" opposition who are actively involved in fighting the Assad regime.

The United States has supported efforts by the Arab League to help the external groups - "no matter how they label themselves," she said - to come up with a democratic code of conduct as part of a strategy for a post-Assad transitional government.

The objective, she said, "is that will be a pluralistic system that, whether you are Sunni or Allawi or Druze or Christian or Kurd, or anybody else - man, woman - you will feel safe. You will feel part of the new Syria. That's job one as we see it. To ensure that we are all talking about a democratic Syria before they get to the point of picking leaders."

A senior administration official, however, told CNN that "no one is under any illusion" that post-Assad leaders will come from the external opposition. Speaking on background because of the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue, this official said the internal opposition members are the ones with "legitimacy, with street cred," because they have been risking their lives in the fight against al-Assad.[/quote]

Source: [url]http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/29/u-s-training-opposition-how-to-administer-liberated-syrian-towns/?hpt=hp_c1&hpt=hp_bn2[/url]

[shaotek]

Hopefully this doesn't come back and bite us in the ass down the road

[Clavus]

[QUOTE=-nesto-;37474303]Hopefully this doesn't come back and bite us in the ass down the road[/QUOTE]

I guess it's mainly meant as damage control. You don't want towns outside of government influence fall into anarchy, that'd just make the mess even bigger.

[RentAhobO]

Again the U.S. is sticking its nose into places where it does not belong. Constantly trying to push their colonialistic agenda forwards.

[-Get_A_Life-]

Well, that's a good thing imo.

[TheLolrus]

[QUOTE=RentAhobO;37475481]Again the U.S. is sticking its nose into places where it does not belong. Constantly trying to push their colonialistic agenda forwards.[/QUOTE]

Colonialism? Really?

[Zillamaster55]

[QUOTE=RentAhobO;37475481]Again the U.S. is sticking its nose into places where it does not belong. Constantly trying to push their colonialistic agenda forwards.[/QUOTE]

What? Since when is helping people considered colonialism?

[ThePinkPanzer]

[QUOTE=RentAhobO;37475481]Again the U.S. is sticking its nose into places where it does not belong. Constantly trying to push their colonialistic agenda forwards.[/QUOTE]

deh r in it 4 deh oil!!!!11 rp revoluton 2012 fuk deh poleeeece!!!!!!

[highlight](User was banned for this post ("Don't post like this even if it is meant as satire it's still very annoying for everyone" - verynicelady))[/highlight]

[yawmwen]

I wonder how long it will take before this mission turns into a mission to impose a pro-US government in Syria.

[polyhistor]

[QUOTE=RentAhobO;37475481]Again the U.S. is sticking its nose into places where it does not belong. Constantly trying to push their colonialistic agenda forwards.[/QUOTE]

You must be joking.

[Monsters_Marco]

[QUOTE=RentAhobO;37475481]Again the U.S. is sticking its nose into places where it does not belong. Constantly trying to push their colonialistic agenda forwards.[/QUOTE]

Watch your mouth or we'll colonize your colon.

[KaIibos]

[QUOTE=ThePinkPanzer;37476405]deh r in it 4 deh oil!!!!11 rp revoluton 2012 fuk deh poleeeece!!!!!![/QUOTE]

shut the FUCK up

[highlight](User was banned for this post ("Report, don't reply" - verynicelady))[/highlight]

[CabooseRvB]

[QUOTE=RentAhobO;37475481]Again the U.S. is sticking its nose into places where it does not belong. Constantly trying to push their colonialistic agenda forwards.[/QUOTE]

[b]FUCK[/b] those swine Americans for helping post-revolutionary government entities on how to manage their monies.

#IndictObama4crimesvshumanity2016

[Chernarus]

Watch either side turn Syria into a fucking shithole.

Before someone plays the Libya card, Libya is in political turmoil and there are bands of fucking mercenaries walking the streets daily keen to hold onto some sort of enforceable power. Major clashes every other week. Sure, a liberal parliament yet that means nothing on the ground, its simply a suggestion to these brigades.

[Disotrtion]

[QUOTE=RentAhobO;37475481]Again the U.S. is sticking its nose into places where it does not belong. Constantly trying to push their[B]colonialistic agenda[/B] forwards.[/QUOTE]
I'll give you some credit. At least its original.

[Swilly]

[QUOTE=Chernarus;37476678]Watch either side turn Syria into a fucking shithole.

Before someone plays the Libya card, Libya is in political turmoil and there are bands of fucking mercenaries walking the streets daily keen to hold onto some sort of enforceable power. Major clashes every other week. Sure, a liberal parliament yet that means nothing on the ground, its simply a suggestion to these brigades.[/QUOTE]

Wasn't this right afterword and now its all but over and calmed down?

[Chernarus]

[QUOTE=Swilly;37476995]Wasn't this right afterword and now its all but over and calmed down?[/QUOTE]
No, they still havent gotten these brigades to hand over their guns and they still hold hardly any power in the country and there are still tribal clashes AFAIK.

[Devodiere]

[QUOTE=-nesto-;37474303]Hopefully this doesn't come back and bite us in the ass down the road[/QUOTE]

Can you imagine 20 years from now, the US is attacked by Syrian bureaucrats flying a filing cabinet into the IRS. And all because we supplied them with administrative tactics turning them into a lawful and civil governmental wasteland.

[smurfy]

[QUOTE=Swilly;37476995]Wasn't this right afterword and now its all but over and calmed down?[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately the militias still hold an inordinate amount of power in Libya, but congress has yet to form a government, the constituent assembly is yet to be formed, and the reconstruction of the army and police forces is ongoing, so I don't think we can make any long-term conclusions about whether the revolution was 'worth it' yet. A period of turmoil is to be expected when the entire structure of government comes crashing down.

We may get an insight into where Libya is going next week, when a new government is due to be formed; Libya is currently run by a caretaker administration left over by the transitional council, and congress has instructed it not to do jackshit because it has no legitimacy

[Governor Goblin]

[QUOTE=ThePinkPanzer;37476405]deh r in it 4 deh oil!!!!11 rp revoluton 2012 fuk deh poleeeece!!!!!![/QUOTE]

Shit like this is even stupider and more annoying than what was originally said.

[editline]31st August 2012[/editline]

[QUOTE=Chernarus;37476678]Watch either side turn Syria into a fucking shithole.

Before someone plays the Libya card, Libya is in political turmoil and there are bands of fucking mercenaries walking the streets daily keen to hold onto some sort of enforceable power. Major clashes every other week. Sure, a liberal parliament yet that means nothing on the ground, its simply a suggestion to these brigades.[/QUOTE]

Can you blame anyone but Gaddafi for that?

[Col. Buggernuts]

I don't see how this is objectionable at all. It's not even supplying non-offensive hardware (bulletproof vests or the like), it's literally just a training course on how to govern without being a dickhead. It's only slightly more involved than sending them an e-mail linking to a Wikipedia article.

[666]

[QUOTE=RentAhobO;37475481]Again the U.S. is sticking its nose into places where it does not belong. Constantly trying to push their colonialistic agenda forwards.[/QUOTE]

what the fuck you cant be serious

[Stalk]

Syrian conflict:

1. Rebels(Radical sunni muslims/allah akbar) vs Assad regime(Secularism/protects christian and shia minorities)

2. Both sides commit crimes against humanity, uses it in propaganda against eachother.

3. Information/massmedia warfare: Both western media and pro-assad media distorts reality to manipulate us into supporting their secret agendas.

4. Proxy warfare: US & Nato supports the rebels and Russia supports Assad.

This war is truly not about democracy or freedom. Syria economy is mainly based on oil and the country got a strategic location by the mediterranean sea. For the west having access to these areas would allow more oil to flow from the middle east.

[Governor Goblin]

[QUOTE=Stalk;37479685]Syrian conflict:

1. Rebels(Radical sunni muslims/allah abkar) vs Assad regime(Secularism/protects christian and shia minorities)

2. Both sides commit crimes against humanity, uses it in propaganda against eachother.

3. Information/massmedia warfare: Both western media and pro-assad media distorts reality to manipulate us into supporting their secret agendas.

4. Proxy warfare: US & Nato supports the rebels and Russia supports Assad.

This war is truly not about democracy or freedom. Syria economy is mainly based on oil and the country got a strategic location by the mediterranean sea. For the west having access to these areas would allow more oil to flow from the middle east.[/QUOTE]
About none of any of that was correct

[Awesomecaek]

[QUOTE=Lyonidis;37476505]You must be joking.[/QUOTE]

Yes, he is. Stop losing your shit.

[editline]31st August 2012[/editline]

[QUOTE=RichyZ;37480012]so almost all of this post is dumb as shit, but this is the part i am most confused with

allahu akbar means "god is great", basically anyone in southeast asia can be heard saying it really
and how are they radical? some may be, but theres also people fighting for their lives as well, and nothing more[/QUOTE]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/zFCYr.jpg[/img]

[Bobie]

LET ME GUESS... is OBAMA teaching them to be SOCIALIST?

[Swilly]

[QUOTE=smurfy;37477299]Unfortunately the militias still hold an inordinate amount of power in Libya, but congress has yet to form a government, the constituent assembly is yet to be formed, and the reconstruction of the army and police forces is ongoing, so I don't think we can make any long-term conclusions about whether the revolution was 'worth it' yet. A period of turmoil is to be expected when the entire structure of government comes crashing down.

We may get an insight into where Libya is going next week, when a new government is due to be formed; Libya is currently run by a caretaker administration left over by the transitional council, and congress has instructed it not to do jackshit because it has no legitimacy[/QUOTE]

It would be good to know where I can follow this kind of information. Because I had no fucking idea.

[editline]31st August 2012[/editline]

[QUOTE=RichyZ;37480012]
allahu akbar means "god is great", basically anyone in southeast asia can be heard saying it really
and how are they radical? some may be, but theres also people fighting for their lives as well, and nothing more[/QUOTE]

Because fear.

[Deunan]

[QUOTE=Chernarus;37477015]No, they still havent gotten these brigades to hand over their guns and they still hold hardly any power in the country and there are still tribal clashes AFAIK.[/QUOTE]

Well the only reason there weren't tribal clashes under Quadafii was because he essentially paid huge loads of money to the tribes in order for them to be calm.

[QUOTE=Governor Goblin;37479305]Shit like this is even stupider and more annoying than what was originally said.
[editline]31st August 2012[/editline]
Can you blame anyone but Gaddafi for that?[/QUOTE]
To be honest, I'd say this is one thing you cannot blame on Gaddafi. In a sense had western nations not gone in, set up the no fly zone and kept bombing the Lybian army, the whole thing would have been over by now and order most likely restored.

The current situation is a bit more messed up - western nations stepped in, aided the rebels and then stepped out again. Would have been better if they stayed in place in force.

[smurfy]

[QUOTE=Swilly;37480638]It would be good to know where I can follow this kind of information. Because I had no fucking idea.[/QUOTE]

Checking the [url=http://www.libyaherald.com/]Libya Herald[/url] every few days will do it, the main feed on the left of their site is all the Libya news you need and no irrelevant bullshit

[mac338]

[QUOTE=RentAhobO;37475481]Again the U.S. is sticking its nose into places where it does not belong. Constantly trying to push their colonialistic agenda forwards.[/QUOTE]

You are right that the imperialistic scumbag Americans have been pushing their imperialism forward. Good thing we're under the protection of our wondrous leader who provides for us and keeps us safe from American's devilish imperialism.