Nothing new about the US methods, you just can't buy a proxy terrorist like Saddam anymore. Not surprising considering what his final payment was. I can see why the rebels were comfortable in adapting to what the US supplied the 'moderstes' with compared to what they gave to ISIS.
Regime Forces Descend on IS-held Palmyra as Syria Peace Talks in Final Push — Naharnet
Syrian pro-government forces were poised Wednesday to launch an assault to retake the ancient city of Palmyra from jihadists, as Washington sought to inject new momentum into flagging peace talks.
The Islamic State (IS) group overran the city dubbed the "Pearl of the Desert" last May, and it has since blown up UNESCO-listed temples and looted relics dating back thousands of years.
Its recapture would be a strategic as well as symbolic victory for President Bashar Assad, since whoever controls it also controls the vast desert extending from central Syria to the Iraqi border, experts say.
Loyalists backed by Russian air strikes were "800 meters (yards) from Palmyra" and now control areas linking the city to Damascus and third city Homs, a Syrian security source said.
"The army is now at (the southern and southwestern) entrances to the city and is preparing to begin the battle to liberate Palmyra," the source told AFP.