“We’ve got incredible experience at building partners and building military and police formations,” Dempsey claimed during a visit to South Korea on Tuesday.

The US has indeed got an incredible amount of experience in attempting to do so, but a very checkered history with it.

"It's very complex, it's changing and most importantly we have to see it as a long-term issue," Dempsey said. "The issues that underlie this conflict will not be solved any time soon. I think we're looking at a decade of challenges in the region with Syria being the epicenter."

"And so we've been in discussion about whether if we could find a way to collaborate on ... the issue of whether we could develop a moderate opposition, in particular to stabilize some of the humanitarian issues in northern Jordan and southern Turkey."

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since March 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

NTJ/BA