Syrian Rebels Lose Again as U.S. General Departs

The man in charge of the troubled U.S.-led program to train and equip a new Syrian rebel army is leaving his job, yet another sign of the deep troubles with the Barack Obama administration’s plan to fight the Islamic State in Syria.

Major General Michael Nagata, who has been leading the Syrian training program since last year, will leave his post as commander of Special Operations Command Central in May or June, having completed two years in the job, Pentagon spokeswoman Amy Derrickfrost told me. There’s no word what job Nagata will have next or who will replace him. The Syrian program will continue under the Special Operations Command Central. There is a possibility Nagata would stay in the mission by maintaining his secondary title as Syria director for the Combined Joint Inter Agency Task Force, which administers the program on the ground. That decision is ultimately up to the Army and Pentagon leadership.