US representatives met with leaders of moderate Syrian opposition forces in Istanbul as part of efforts to implement the congressionally approved mission to train and equip these forces, announced US Central Command on Wednesday. Army Maj. Gen. Michael Nagata, director of the Combined Joint Interagency Task Force-Syria, along with US Special Envoy for Syria Daniel Rubinstein, led the US delegation for the meetings on Monday and Tuesday. “These meetings provided an important opportunity to introduce and discuss the US train-and-equip program with members of the moderate political and armed opposition and to gain a better understanding of conditions on the ground in Syria,” states CENTCOM’s release. As these meetings were underway, US combat aircraft continued airstrikes in Syria against ISIS forces. US bomber and fighter airplanes destroyed eight fighting positions of ISIS forces, along with one ISIS armored vehicle on those days, announced the Pentagon.
U.S. munitions have been expended at a high rate during Operation Epic Fury against Iran, prompting concerns that the Pentagon is eating into weapons stockpiles it needs to deter threats around the world. Yet the newly released $1.5 trillion defense budget request was developed before the war against Iran and…