Every attempt by the US to insinuate itself into Syria’s ongoing civil war has failed, and every ally they’ve named has ended up collapsing to the point of irrelevance in the face of stronger factions like ISIS.

Still, the Pentagon seems to figure the next time’s the charm, and is seeking $500 million in additional funding for rebel training as part of their next massive budget from Congress, aiming to create a force of 2,300 “moderate” rebels.

The Pentagon plan envisions them fighting not only the ongoing war with the Assad government, which is difficult enough, but also all of the al-Qaeda and ISIS-linked factions therein, which at this point have at least as much territory.

It isn’t even clear what “moderate” means at this point, beyond them being willing to take US money and equipment, and while the Free Syrian Army (FSA) has long been the “go-to” rebel faction for the US, their complete lack of success has the US looking for other Islamist blocs, at least the ones not directly affiliated with al-Qaeda.