WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Murphy noted he had warned "from the very beginning" that the US train-and-equip program was deeply problematic.
"For nearly two years, I’ve raised concerns about the potential for the Syrian opposition to coordinate with and provide American weapons to Nusra [Front], an al-Qaeda offshoot," he explained.
Murphy also said the Obama administration decision to end the train-and-equip program comes from revelations that US-trained Syrian rebels gave US equipment to the Nusra Front.
"An effective campaign to degrade ISIL does not require the US to become dangerously intertwined into the Syrian civil war," Murphy concluded. "This is a moment for the United States to reevaluate our regional strategy and focus on our core strategic interests."
On Thursday, former US ambassador to Syria Richard Murphy told Sputnik that some Syrian opposition groups wanted to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad rather than destroy the Islamic State.
