“We can confirm that NONE of our aircraft – manned or unmanned, USA or Coalition – were anywhere in the vicinity of Aleppo when the strike against the humanitarian convoy occurred”, said Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis. Dunford said he’s not certain which of the two Russian aircraft dropped the bombs, which killed 20 civilians.
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The failure to establish a no-fly zone in the country’s north to protect Syrians from the bombing has been a mistake, according to Graham, and he also criticized the reliance on the Kurdish fighters the US has been supporting in the fight against the Islamic State. Although the battle-hardened Kurds have proven to be effective, their success has alarmed Turkey, which is grappling with a Kurdish insurgency in its southeast.
Dunford said it “is very difficult” to manage the balance between supporting the Kurds and dealing with the Turkish government’s adamant opposition to that support.
The nation’s top military officials are expected to face sharp questions from Republicans angry the Obama administration is not taking more aggressive steps to end the 5-year-old-civil war in Syria.
Republican Senator John McCain, the committee’s chairman, fiercely criticized the possibility of future cooperation and called U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who brokered the ill-fated deal, “delusional” for seeking it.
Two Russian aircraft were in the area at the time of the strike, Dunford said, making the first public disclosure of the U.S.’s understanding of the timeline around the fatal attack. -Russian military partnership if violence is reduced and humanitarian aid is delivered consistently.
US intelligence officials also have voiced concerns about sharing precise information on the positions of USA -backed rebel forces, given that Russian Federation has targeted them in the past. Republicans are skeptical, even hostile, to the idea that Russian Federation is a willing partner for peace and would work with the United States to combat Islamic State militants and al-Qaida. “I do not believe it would be a good idea to share intelligence with the Russians”.
McCain assailed the potential partnership, saying it would “mean that the US military would effectively own future Russian airstrikes in the eyes of the world”.
But Marine General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the US military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, suggested any such military coordination at a so-called “joint integration cell” would be extremely limited.
US officials said Tuesday that intelligence showed two Russian bombers flying in the area at the time of the attack, which world leaders blasted as “appalling” and “sickening”. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Russian Federation claimed Wednesday that the USA had a Predator drone flying overhead when the convoy delivering aid to besieged civilians was struck on Monday, killing at least 20 civilians and destroying 18 of 31 trucks filled with aid. Both militaries use Su-24 fighter jets.
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Russian Federation and its involvement in Syria took center stage during the hearing, with Dunford labeling Moscow the “most significant challenge” posed to USA national interests.
