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There is a need “to get Iraqi security forces on their feet and be able to conduct ground operations” against enemy militants, Lt.-Gen. Jonathan Vance, the country’s domestic and overseas operations commander, said on Oct. 17.

“This indeed will take an effort — a training effort. That the U.S. is looking to trusted partners — amongst whom are NATO — to consider this is not unexpected.”

There were published reports in the U.S. that NATO had been approached by Washington to organize it, but a spokesman for the military alliance’s senior commander said the formal request would have to come from the Iraqi government.

Lt.-Col. Jay Janzen said the allies agreed at the leader’s summit in Wales that if the new government of Haider al-Abadi in Baghdad asked for capacity-building help, “including building more effective security forces,” the alliance would consider it.

“To date a request has not been received, but our offer stands,” he said in an email last week.

The U.S. policy in Syria is to recruit and train opposition force to defend territory, rather than to seize it back from the Islamic State, according to administration officials who spoke to the Washington Post on Oct. 23.

Characterizing it as a defensive posture seems aimed at not provoking a wider conflict involving Iran and Russia, which both back Assad.

Alawak says his group recently held talks in Jordan with the U.S., France and Britain and made it clear they will not participate unless they get to choose who is trained because they know better who is and who is not an extremist.

U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said they want to build an “effective opposition force, not just a hit-and-run group of rebels,” but Alawak says he doesn’t see that happening in the near future.

He is also suspicious of who the Americans are courting as potential partners in the region.

“I hope the American intelligence — the CIA — should be more selective in choosing opposition figures, and (should not) choose just anyone. They should choose reliable persons,” Alawak said.

“What will make Assad survive is the divide of the American administration and he is depending on such division.”