The committee said Baghdad would help in harmonizing efforts in the fight against Islamic State despite the objection to the role by Syria.
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Kerry responded to questions about the accord, saying it was key that the United States and Russian Federation coordinate. “We’ve got a long way to go in that conversation”.
Since previous year, an aerial bombing campaign against ISIS positions has been carried out by a U.S.-led coalition. Translation: “we’ve been caught flat-footed and hadn’t a clue that high-level talks between Russian Federation and Iraq were happening”.
The administration will also make some news of its own, announcing the streamlining of the Department Homeland Security’s effort to counter violent extremism under a single official, as well as launching new efforts to fight extremists through community groups and private partnerships.
While most of his fellow Republican presidential hopefuls are calling for a bigger military effort to destroy the group, Trump said the US should reduce its already small footprint in Syria.
Washington’s strategy in Iraq, built on an air campaign and the deployment of several thousand military trainers and advisers, has also come under increasing fire as failing to produce results.
The new security deal was only the latest example of Iraqi cooperation with Russian Federation, Iran and Syria. And in Iraq, Trump said he would be willing to send round forces to fight the radical militant group. Iraq is now negotiating with Moscow to buy more advanced weaponry.
American officials said the initiative was unlikely to alter the way the United States shares intelligence with the Iraqi government.
Yesterday’s announcement that Iraq is going to engage in intelligence sharing with Russian Federation and Syria has been met negatively by Pentagon officials, who say that it “complicates” the USA war and dramatically weakens America’s own intelligence gathering abilities.
Moscow has long provided conventional weaponry to the military of Mr. Assad, whose resources have been stretched thin after four years of conflict.
In the interview with “60 Minutes“, Putin said the only option was to support existing government structures, not Western-backed rebel opposition.
Earlier this month, Gen. Martin Dempsey, outoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the war is “tactically stalemated” and there are no “dramatic gains on either side”. “It is true that we more need equipment, training, intelligence, air force coverage but we do not need ground troops and bases from this country or that country,” he said.
David Cameron said Assad should face a criminal trial, but the United Kingdom prime minister is keeping open the possibility the Syrian president could temporarily remain in power to oversee a transition to a more inclusive government.
The White House is looking to Monday’s meeting with Mr. Putin as a decisive moment to determine whether the two leaders can reach a consensus on Syria and Moscow’s role in fighting Islamic State.
The Americans and the European nations have been standing by and watching the fighting, watching the advance of Isis, watching the killing of civilians for more than four years now – it it is a bit of a master move on the part of the Russians, and at the same time a humiliation for the likes of Obama and David Cameron.
President Obama is expected to chair an global summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly for worldwide leaders combating ISIS and “violent extremism” as a whole.
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Other parts of the Obama administration’s policies on Syria and for combating the Islamic State have suffered significant setbacks, as well, the report indicates.
