A US military official claimed on Friday that a crippling ambush on Pentagon-trained Syrian fighters in July actually showed that America is effectively protecting the moderate rebel force it supports.
Brig. Gen. Kevin Killea, the chief of staff of the Combined Joint Task Force, made the remark during a press briefing with reporters, alleging that the July 31 assault showed how the US protected its first round of graduates from its Syrian train-and-equip program. .
“If you’re asking me about the support that we give them and the protection that we give them once they’re in the fight, I think we demonstrated that on July 31 when that first group was attacked by ANF (al-Nusra Front),” Killea said, responding to a question about whether or not the department has learned lessons from the incident.
The comments drew quizzical responses from reporters in the room.
“No disrespects intended at all,” said McClatchy reporter James Rosen, “but some might argue regarding that first group of Syrian train and equip troops who went back into Syria on July 31, that they didn’t receive adequate protection.”
According to reports from fighters on the ground, an al Qaeda-aligned rebel group in Syria, the al-Nusra Front, succeeded in abducting seven members of Division 30, including three leaders after a surprise attack. The following day, a second attack by the militant group cost the lives of five members of the force, and wounded 18 others.
Rosen followed up asking: “What does the United States know about the fate of the Syrians that were captured by al-Nusra?”
Killea spiked the question.
“You obviously have a different information on the outcome of that fight on the night of July 31,” he said, before claiming he isn’t authorized to “release the details of what the ANF is doing.”
“Can you improve my understanding of the out come of that fight please?” Rosen followed-up.
“I understand it was—coalition aircraft were able to beat back that ANF attack and provide the new Syrian forces that were engaged there [with] the airpower they needed as they fought back against the ANF, and the coalition air strikes supported them in beating back that attack by over 50 ANF soldiers,” Killea claimed.
“How many were captured by al-Nusra?” Rosen asked again.
“Yea, I don’t have those details for you, thanks,” Killea responded.
According to the Guardian, the ambush wiped out half of Division 30.
McClatchy reported last week that the al-Nusra Front may have been tipped off by the Turkish government before the attack—an allegation that could heap pressure on both NATO and the bonds holding together the anti-Islamic State coalition.
Members of Division 30 told McClatchy that “only the Americans and the Turks knew” about the fighting force’s plans following deployment.
The Pentagon has said the report isn’t true.
