The sources, speaking to Reuters on condition they not be identified, gave the most forthright account yet from the region of what the United States fears is a deepening Russian military role in Syria's civil war, though one of the Lebanese sources said the number of Russians involved so far was small. U.S. officials said Russia sent two tank landing ships and additional cargo aircraft to Syria in the past day or so and deployed a small number of naval infantry forces.
The U.S. officials, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the intent of Russia's military moves in Syria was unclear. One suggested the focus may be on preparing an airfield near the port city of Latakia, a stronghold of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. U.S. officials have not ruled out the possibility that Russia may want to use the airfield for air combat missions.
Election poster of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and a photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) are seen on a car at al-Qardahah town near Latakia city
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to his Russian counterpart for the second time in four days to express concern over reports of Russian military activities in Syria, warning that it could fan more violence. The White House said it was closely monitoring the situation.
Russia says the Syrian government must be incorporated into a shared global fight against Islamic State, the Islamist group that has taken over large parts of Syria and Iraq. The United States and Assad's regional foes see him as part of the problem. "We would welcome constructive Russian contributions to the counter-ISIL effort, but we've been clear that it would be unconscionable for any party, including the Russians, to provide any support to the Assad regime," White House spokesman Eric Schultz said, using an acronym for Islamic State.
SYRIAN TROOPS PULLING BACK
Unconfirmed reports on Twitter said Russian warplanes had carried out first airstrikes, near an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL)-besieged Syrian Air Force base at Rasm al-Abboud (aka Quweires or Kweres), east of Aleppo. Other reports, citing “security sources” in Damascus, said Russian-supplied drones had been used in Syrian regime operations against jihadists. When Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked about claims airstrikes had begun, he scoffed at the notion the news would break on Twitter and declined to comment, Russian state media reported. The U.S. has watched with unease a buildup of Russian military assets in Syria over recent weeks, including the deployment of more than two dozen fighter planes at an airbase near the Assad coastal stronghold of Latakia.
Although a U.S.-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against ISIS inside Syria since September 22 of last year, Russian involvement could be a game-changer, since a key aim of Russian intervention – unlike that of the U.S. – is propping up the Assad regime. Putin is reportedly hoping to meet with President Obama on the sidelines of United Nations meetings in New York next week, when the Russian is expected to push for his ally in Damascus to be brought into the international campaign against ISIS, in a bid to end the drawn-out and costly civil war. That would fly in the face of the administration’s stance that President Bashar al-Assad’s conduct is fueling terrorism – and that he has no role in a future Syria. Secretary of State John Kerry told Italy’s La Stampa newspaper that the brutality of the Moscow-supported regime was feeding a growth in extremism.
Sukhoi SU-27 “Flanker” jets, like the one in this file photo, are among more than two dozen Russian warplanes reportedly now stationed in Syria.
Kerry said he had told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that Russian military support for Assad “could further escalate the conflict, lead to greater loss of innocent life, increase refugee flows, and risk confrontation with the counter-ISIL coalition operating in Syria.” Meanwhile Bloomberg cited officials in Moscow as saying that if the U.S. does not agree to coordinate with Russia, the Assad regime and Iran – Assad’s main ally – against ISIS, then Russia was ready to act alone.
Last Friday Defense Secretary Ash Carter spoke by phone to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, about “what the Russians intentions are” in Syria, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said Tuesday. He said Carter would welcome a “constructive” Russian role against ISIS, but it would have to be coordinated. Furthermore, “anything that the Russians do that would be seen as supporting, further enhancing the capabilities of the Syrian government would be counterproductive,” Cook said.
Russian Airstrikes in Syria Could Begin Soon
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As concerns grew about a conflict that has now drawn in warplanes from the world's two most powerful militaries, Russian President Vladimir Putin denied reports that civilians were killed in any Russian airstrikes. "We are ready for such information attacks," he said in a live broadcast from the Kremlin. "The first reports of civilian casualties came even before our jets took off." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his country and the U.S.-coalition "see eye-to-eye" on the targets of the fight in Syria and that the first military contact between Russia and the U.S. would take place "very, very soon." He added that "we believe that our position is absolutely in line with international law."
In this image made from video provided by Hadi Al-Abdallah smoke rises after airstrikes in Kafr Nabel of the Idlib province, western Syria
Russian jets appeared to be primarily bombing central and northwestern Syria, strategic regions that are the gateway to Assad's strongholds in the capital Damascus and the coast. The United States and allies fear that Russia, which has backed the Assad family since the current leader's father was in power, is using the air campaign as a pretext to go after anti-Assad rebels that include CIA-backed groups. U.S. Sen. John McCain said Thursday that some Russian airstrikes in Syria were aimed at CIA-backed groups fighting the Assad regime, echoing claims from activists.
McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, told CNN he "can absolutely confirm to you that they were strikes against our Free Syrian Army, or groups that have been armed and trained by the CIA, because we have communications with people there." However, he later said the claim was based on published reports Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Russian aircraft damaged or destroyed 12 targets in Syria belonging to the Islamic State group including a command center and two ammunition depots. Officials acknowledged, however, that other unidentified groups were being targeted as well. Konashenkov said Russian Su-25M and Su-25 jets flew 20 sorties between Wednesday and Thursday morning. He insisted that civilian areas were not targeted.
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The one clear message that emerged from a day of mixed signals from the Pentagon, the State Department and the White House was that the U.S. would continue with its own air operations over Syria despite the Russian sorties. "We have not altered operations to accommodate new players on the battlefield" said Army Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve which is directing U.S. and coalition efforts in Syria and Iraq.
In this image made from video provided by Homs Media Centre smoke rises after airstrikes by military jets in Talbiseh of the Homs province, western Syria
In a video conference to the Pentagon from Baghdad, Warren said that the U.S. had flown several sorties over Syria Wednesday and Thursday and had conducted at least one airstrike against ISIS, destroying two excavators. At a testy Pentagon news conference later, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook backed up Warren's message that U.S. air operations over Syria would continue. He also echoed Warren in saying that the airstrikes conducted Wednesday and Thursday by Russian Sukhoi warplanes were not aimed at ISIS but appeared to be designed to prop up the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
However, Cook deflected questions on whether the U.S. and the coalition would live up to the commitment made by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and others to protect Syrian rebels trained and equipped by the U.S. from potential attack by the Russians. Cook said repeatedly that he would not be drawn into "hypotheticals" about the U.S.-trained group or other groups fighting against Assad and generally supported by the U.S., such as the Free Syrian Army.
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