Lindsey Graham: US Train and Equip Program in Syria 'Failure'

Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham claims that the Pentagon train and equip program in Syria is a failure.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Leandra Bernstein — There are too few suitable recruits left in Syria to make the Pentagon’s train and equip program viable in the fight against ISIL, Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"The Pentagon train and equip program is a failure," Graham stated, commenting on reports that it had lost contact with 50 of its recruits.

Calling the handling of the program "flawed," Graham added that there are not enough recruits "left inside of Syria to train to change the tide of battle."

On Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told the press that the US military does not know the location of the moderate Syrian rebels who received military training under the anti-ISIL train and equip program. Cook further stated the Pentagon would have concerns if the trainees had defected to join terrorist groups like ISIL or al-Qaeda.

Graham argued that the limitations on the recruitment program are "absurd," saying the United States "waited too long" to begin the program.

In July, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced that the Pentagon had only trained 60 Syrian fighters in the multi-million dollar train and equip program. Carter acknowledged the number is inadequate, but insisted on maintaining rigorous standards for the Syrian trainees.