Military chief appointment shows US policy failure in Syria: Pundit
Washington’s decision to appoint Marine General Joseph Dunford as the highest ranking US military commander, shows that America has “admitted” to its failure in the face of the current regional conflicts in the Middle East, an American analyst says.
“The US policy in the region has been wrong, it has been a mess ever since President Bush decided to go in,” Wilmer Leon, political scientist and radio host, told Press TV on Saturday.
“Putting Dunford in this position now is a very subtle admission that the existing strategy has been a failure and that more reasonable approaches are necessary,” he added.
Gen. Dunford assumed the position of chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, succeeding Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, who managed the largest division-level command in the history of the US Army during the Iraq war.
Dunford, on the other hand, commanded US troops in Afghanistan. His appointment comes in the amid a daunting set of military challenges including Russia’s presence in Syria, China’s policies regarding the South China Sea, and the stalemated campaign in Iraq.
The Marine general earned the White House’s respect in after striking a balance in the ongoing fight against Taliban, as commander of US and allied forces in Afghanistan.
“When you look at his approach in other areas, he has earned the respect of the White House because he is considered to be a balanced, more reasonable individual,” Leon said.
At a White House ceremony, US President Barack Obama praised Dunford for his abilities.
“I know Joe. I trust him,” he said. “He’s already proven his ability to give his unvarnished military advice based on his experience on the ground.”
One of Dunford’s primary challenges will be training the “new Syrian force,” a cadre of so-called “moderate” militants the US trains to allegedly fight the Daesh (ISIL) terrorists in Syria.
The $500 million dollar program, dubbed "train-and-equip" has been a failure so far, as according to US military officials, the program has produced only a handful of militants the majority of whom have either defected or surrendered arms to other militants groups.
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