More bombs fell in Syria today. Russian Federation has justified its strikes by saying Syria requested its military assistance.
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“We are seeing the Russians ramp up their support for President Assad“, he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was a model of understatement. “My enemy’s enemy is my friend, to a few degree,” he said. But the strikes also included attacks on areas held by Western-backed rebels who are fighting the Assad regime.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had spoken of cooperation during a meeting Monday with US President Barack Obama.
President Putin says his air force will be supporting the Syrian army in its offensive operations. Homs, the northern part of Syria, houses a number of rebel groups affiliated with hardline Islamist militia Al-Qaeda, such as Al Nusra Front and Ahrar al Sham.
The State Department said a Russian diplomat in Baghdad had notified the United States of the intended air strikes barely an hour in advance.
Kerry also said the US-led coalition would “dramatically accelerate” its efforts.
Kerry said Russian operations must not support Mr Assad or interfere with those of the US-led coalition that is already attacking Islamic State targets.
Early indications seemed to suggest that is precisely what occurred on Wednesday.
The US conducted airstrikes in Syria as planned Wednesday, not near where Russian jets are operating.
French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said: “Curiously, they didn’t hit Islamic State“.
Danahar is also author of “The New Middle East”. “But they’re not in an area where ISIS is prevelant”, he adds.
Obama said the United States was ready to work with Russian Federation and Iran to “find a political mechanism in which it is possible to begin a transition process”.
Colonel Bob Stewart, a member of parliament’s defence select committee, welcomed the decision despite Russia’s support of the Assad regime, stating “in order to defeat the great Satan you might have to put up with a lesser devil as well”. “The result of this kind of action will inevitably simply be to inflame the civil war in Syria”. The Russian military leases a vital port in the Syrian city of Tartus on the Mediterranean coast.
But Danahar says Moscow sees an opportunity to bolster its influence in the region. Putin is Assad’s most powerful backer.
“There has been a certain war of disinformation for a few time and everyone is trying to discredit each other“, Orlov said.
Speaking during a visit to Jamaica, Mr Cameron said the UK Government would need to look “very carefully” at exactly what had happened on the ground in Syria.
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Dozens of civilians, including five children, have reportedly been killed in Russia’s first airstrikes in Syria – a claim strongly denied by the country.
