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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJohn McCain: "I’ve Vetted the Syrian Rebels"
The words 'McCain' and 'vett' don't belong in the same sentence. Ever.
McCain touted that hes vetted a number of them because I know them. It was at that point Fox aired the infamous photo from last year of McCain and a few Syrian rebels, two of which turned out to be suspected kidnappers. This led to Rand Paul taking a shot at McCain and illustrating this as an example of why its hard to properly vet Syrian rebels.
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/mccain-ive-vetted-syrian-rebels-people-not-trusting-them-making-excuses/
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)McCain looked at Palin and knew she was the one and now he is using his ability to read the rebels and thinks they are okay. DNC is failing to have this ability.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)isn't "vetting", right? No...no, he doesn't.
VanillaRhapsody
(21,115 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)Try as He May, John McCain Cant Shake Falsehoods About Ties to ISIS
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/world/middleeast/try-as-he-may-john-mccain-cant-shake-falsehoods-about-ties-to-isis.html
951-Riverside
(7,234 posts)There you have it, nothing to see here, case closed, stop asking questions. MOVE ALONG PEOPLE!
And you didnt see this...
or this...
Video: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/syria-arming-the-rebels/
REBEL COMMANDER: [through interpreter] They asked for a group of 80 or 90 fighters from our command, and we headed towards the Turkish border.
NARRATOR: Based on their accounts, we retraced their journey across the border into Turkey. After a 14-hour drive, they say they arrived in the Turkish capital of Ankara and were brought to a hotel. They were kept inside and questioned by Americans, who would only say they were from the military. But the rebels believed they were from the CIA.
REBEL COMMANDER: [through interpreter] We met them for six to seven hours a day. It was medical examinations, questions for each person individually, like, When did you join the uprising? And What was your profession or military rank?
They had tracked our work and asked us to verify information about attacks we carried out, such as who was present and how many men were martyred. Your responses have to match the entire groups.
NARRATOR: A week later, the rebels say they were surprised by what happened next.
REBEL COMMANDER: [through interpreter] We only found out where we were going to be trained on the last day in Ankara, when the Americans said goodbye and that, Tomorrow, well see you in Qatar.
NARRATOR: They were flown 1,500 miles away to Doha, the capital of Qatar, which is a key U.S. ally in the Persian Gulf.
REBEL COMMANDER: [through interpreter] We drove for about two, two-and-a-half hours to reach the training ground. It was close to the Saudi border. We didnt know where we were because it was desert all around.
NARRATOR: Over the course of three weeks, they say they were trained by Americans at a base in the desert guarded by Qatari soldiers. Like many of the rebels who were sent to Qatar, 21-year-old Hussein had never had any previous military training.
HUSSEIN: [through interpreter] They trained us to ambush regime or enemy vehicles and cut off the road. They also trained us on how to attack a vehicle, raid it, retrieve information or weapons and munitions, and how to finish off soldiers still alive after an ambush.
NARRATOR: The rebels were outfitted with brand-new uniforms and boots.
MUHAMMAD ALI: [subtitles] Those trousers are from them, right?
HUSSEIN: [subtitles] Yeah. We got these boots in training.
MUHAMMAD ALI: The Americans were warning the fighters not to tell this story at all. And even at one point, they told them, If in any case this story will be published, we will stop funding you or arming you.
NARRATOR: The CIA and the State Department declined to comment on the fighters accounts of arming and training, though the Obama administration has said it plans to step up support to the rebels, and there have been other reports the CIA is running covert training out of Jordan.
Hell, PBS does not exist.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)It was an erroneous ID of the wrong guy.
951-Riverside
(7,234 posts)That would be like asking the Ferguson Police Chief if he believes Darren Wilson murdered Mike Brown, he's going to drone on and on about being offended by the question and throw in something about the investigation being ongoing.
He's going to say whatever makes his boss look good and why did the NYT go to McShill's communications director to get a quote instead of going to the man himself?
pokerfan
(27,677 posts)Still, McCain is now expecting the "good rebels" to give up their fight against Assad (whom McCain wanted to bring down a year ago) and join us in fighting the "bad rebels" AKA ISIS/ISIL.
Takes me back to the days when the Mujahideen/Al-Qaeda were the good guys because they were fighting the "bad guys" AKA the USSR.
Or when Saddam Hussein because he was fighting Iran and now we're preparing to take Iran's side in this fight against the Sunnis.
I'm fifty-five years old and I'm just tired of this fucking merry-go-round.
951-Riverside
(7,234 posts)He really needs to retire. He's so ding batty now he couldn't vett his reflection.