US-trained rebels betray America and hand weapons to Al-Qaeda

The group's chief of staff resigned following the failure of the program

Pentagon-trained rebels in Syria have betrayed their American supporters. The group re-entered Syria and handed their weapons to al-Qaeda. The rebel division, backed by the United States, is called Fighters Division 30.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - The Telegraph reported the group of rebels surrendered to Al Qaeda's affiliate Jabhat Al-Nustra.

They are the first faction of fighters who graduated from a U.S. led-training program in Turkey, whose goal was to have a ground fight against Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

A member of Al-Qaeda's local affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, named Abu Fahd al-Tujisi, posted the following statement on Twitter:

"A strong slap for America ... the new group from Division 30 that entered yesterday hands over all of its weapons to Jabhat al-Nusra after being granted safe passage."

He added, "They handed over a large amount of ammunition and medium weaponry and a number of pick-ups."

Another man assumed to be a Jabhat al-Nusra member, noted that Division 30 commander Anas Ibrahim Obaid explained to the group leaders that he tricked the coalition to gain their weapons.

In his tweet, he wrote, "He promised to issue a statement ... repudiating division 30, the Coalition, and those who trained him."

He also wrote, "And he also gave a large amount of weapons to Jabhat al Nusra."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) monitoring group revealed 75 Division 30 fighters have crossed into Syria from Turkey, carrying "12 four-wheel vehicles equipped with machine guns and ammunition.

The U.S. Central Command also confirmed that 70 graduates of Syria's train and equip program went to Syria with their equipment and weapons and worked as New Syrian Forces together with Sunni Arab, Syrian Kurds and other anti-ISIL forces.

Over the weekend, the group's chief of staff resigned after discovering the training program was not "serious." There is a possibility of disaster eventually befalling the program.

According to head of U.S. Central Command, General Lloyd Austin, there were only a handful or remaining program graduates who continue to fight inside Syria. He said, "We're talking four or five."

From the beginning of the program, rebels complained about the laborious vetting process and the restriction imposed to only fight ISIL.

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