U.S. defense chief says training programs to fight IS plagued by lack of recruits

U.S. defense chief said Tuesday that execution of the U.S. strategy against the extremist group, the Islamic State, fell short of expectation.

Speaking at a hearing on U.S. anti-IS strategy almost one year after its introduction by the U.S. President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Ash Carter defended Obama's strategy as "right", but admitted that the training program for local forces in both Iraq and Syria, touted by Obama as the linchpin of the U.S. anti-IS strategy, had been slowed.

According to Carter, around 3,550 U.S. personnel were currently involved in training Iraqi security forces at six locations around Iraq. However, the shortage of Iraqi trainees plagued U.S. training effort.

"As of June 30, we've only received enough trainees to be able to train about 8,800 Iraqi army soldiers and Peshmerga forces," said Carter. "I've told Iraqi leaders that while the United States is open to supporting Iraq more than we already are, we must also see greater commitment from all parts of the Iraqi government."

Carter had earlier criticized the Iraqis of lacking "will to fight" after the rout of Iraqi forces in the crucial Iraqi city of Ramadi in May.

As IS suicide bombers were approaching Ramadi, Iraqi forces who outnumbered IS militants fled without fighting.

Meanwhile, the training program for Syrian militants against IS proved to be even more fraught with problems as only about 60 Syrian fighters were currently being trained by the United States since the program first started three months ago.

"We are working to screen and vet almost 7,000 volunteers to ensure that they are committed to fighting ISIL," said Carter, referring to the group in another acronym.

Carter attributed the anemic results to vetting standards, and earlier Pentagon officials told reporters that the United States had difficulty in finding Syrian recruits not linked to IS or other extremist groups and who were willing to fight IS before the Syrian government.

The training program in Syria, approved by the Congress last September, planned to train 5,400 Syrian moderate rebels each year for three years, and the Pentagon had already lowered its target to 3,000 Syrian trainees this year.

While doubting the Obama administration's ability to meet its recruiting target this year, Senator John McCain, who chairs the Armed Service Committee, blasted the Obama administration for lacking "coherent strategy" against IS. Republicans, including McCain, had long be calling for more U.S. boots on the ground to fight IS, a suggestion constantly rejected by the Obama administration.

However, General Martine Dempsey, chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not rule out temporal embedding of U.S. Special Forces with Iraqi forces while dismissing a long-term embedding.

"If we find a unit which is led and is responsive and has an offensive mission where we can enable them (Iraqis) or increase their likelihood of success, I will make that recommendation," said Dempsey at the same hearing on Tuesday. "But to restore or to put embedded advisers in on a habitual basis, the environment is just not simply set to do that." Endite