# US-Funded Free Syrian Army Units Defecting to ISIS **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 27, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745 "2015-02-27T03:19:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![manfromuncle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@manfromuncle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manfromuncle)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745/41 "2015-02-27T16:57:32Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Who is saying that? The OP claimed that ISIS was created deliberately by the US, and many are disagreeing with that. But that’s an entirely different thing. The US funding of the Free Syrian Army was very deliberate, it takes a willing suspensioln of disbelief to say policymakers did not know those weapons would wind up with ISIS. People are feee to be this naive. Many are not. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745/42 "2015-02-27T17:12:35Z")
> [@manfromuncle](#): > > The US funding of the Free Syrian Army was very deliberate, it takes a willing suspensioln of disbelief to say policymakers did not know those weapons would wind up with ISIS. Well, seeing as ISIS did not yet exist at that time, I’d say it would’ve been a hard guess that they’d end up with those weapons. Now, would you care to explain why, if “the military-industrial complex” wanted another US invasion of Iraq, they bothered to arm Syrian rebels knowing that in the future those rebels would align themselves with a radical Islamist group that didn’t yet exist at the time, when they could have just, you know, _invaded Iraq_ without doing any of that? It’s not like there haven’t been people in Congress demanding more troops there since _ever_. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745/43 "2015-02-27T18:45:11Z")
Darn. OP was just warming up. I was looking forward to his thoughts on the fake moon landing. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745/44 "2015-02-27T18:50:13Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Darn. OP was just warming up. I was looking forward to his thoughts on the fake moon landing. I feel like a cat that had it’s mouse taken away. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745/45 "2015-02-27T18:54:43Z")
Banned name! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745/46 "2015-02-28T03:38:15Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > The vacuum of power left in the wake of the (US-led) overthrow of Saddam Hussein was ripe for the ultra-radical ISIS guys and now the (US-funded) Syrian rebels are joining the ISIS cause and the peanut gallery in this thread is suggesting the US had nothing to do with the (US-led) military use of force against ISIS? > > Well done. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > Who is saying that? The OP claimed that ISIS was created deliberately by the US, and many are disagreeing with that. But that’s an entirely different thing. So, I guess we can conclude that no one is saying what you claim people are saying. ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745/47 "2015-02-28T04:22:06Z")
And these rebel groups are solid. You can take their word to the bank. There’s no way they would claim to be fighting Assaud or ISIS and then change their strategies and loyalties along the way. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745/48 "2015-03-01T02:17:26Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Debka is a good site for getting the Israeli POV. Not exactly accurate on reporting on anything else. “The” Israeli POV? There’s only one? (My uncle is addicted to the damn site. I’ve been trying to convince him for years that maybe he should consider also reading other news sources. Just reading it over his shoulder makes me twitchy.) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745/49 "2015-03-01T02:31:35Z")
> [@manfromuncle](#): > > Do you think the US mainstream media is fair and balanced? N.B.: “fair” != “balanced.” See [Balance fallacy](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Balance_fallacy). As for the mainstream media, [accusations of liberal bias have proven unfounded when studied](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Liberal_media) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745/50 "2015-03-01T02:32:47Z")
> [@manfromuncle](#): > > The US funding of the Free Syrian Army was very deliberate, it takes a willing suspensioln of disbelief to say policymakers did not know those weapons would wind up with ISIS. Did ISIS even exist at the time? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745/51 "2015-03-01T02:42:49Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > More so than Fox “News”. > > And just because he’s a journalist doesn’t mean he can’t be batshit insane. Or in it for the money. But the fact that he does (or did) it for television means he can’t be considered a journalist. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-funded-free-syrian-army-units-defecting-to-isis/713745.md?page=2)