Teh One Who Knocks
10-15-2015, 10:48 AM
FOX News
http://i.imgur.com/M4wAfGB.jpg
A Russian fighter jet reportedly approached a U.S. aircraft in Syrian airspace this weekend in order to identify it, Moscow said Wednesday ahead of talks between U.S. and Russian officials about how to avoid dangerous incidents in Syria's crowded airspace.
The Wall Street Journal reports Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, said the jets came within 2 or 3 kilometers (1.2 to 1.8 miles) from the U.S. plane on Saturday, “not to intimidate, but to identify the object.”
Konashenkov said it’s not the first time such an incident has happened. He said Russian military pilots often “visually record” aircraft in Syrian airspace.
U.S. and Russian officials met Wednesday to further discuss safety as planes from both countries run bombing missions over Syria. A senior U.S. military official told the Journal that the latest rounds of talks were inching close to a “memorandum of understanding” on how to stay out of each other’s way.
The official said a formal agreement could come within the coming days, but could just be a reiteration of a non-written agreement that both sides stay away from each other.
Russia’s air campaign has mostly focused on areas of western Syria, while the U.S.-led coalition has focused its target – the ISIS terror group – in Syria’s east.
However, the U.S. has repeatedly accused Russia of targeting U.S.-backed Syrian rebels in an effort to support Syrian President Bashar Assad. A U.S. official told Fox News on Wednesday that Moscow is “deliberately targeting” CIA-trained rebels.
"Putin is deliberately targeting our forces," a U.S. official, who is disappointed in the U.S. response to Russia, told Fox News.
"Our guys are fighting for their lives," said the official, estimating up to 150 CIA-trained moderate rebels have been killed by the Russians.
“Striking ISIL continues to be the least of Moscow’s priorities in Syria," said a U.S. intelligence official who also warned Putin might not look so tough if a Russian helicopter were downed or some Russian soldiers captured.
“In the modern age of social media, one captured Russian soldier paraded by extremists could shock the Russian population,” the official said.
Russia has called for other countries to join a coalition against “terrorist groups” in Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized Washington Wednesday for refusing to consider more extensive cooperation in the sky over Syria.
“It’s hurtful,” Lavrov told the Russian parliament. He said a deal to avoid incidents is paramount, “but we are prepared to go much further, to coordinate much more deeply.”
A senior U.S. defense official said the talks with Russia officials are only to de-conflict airspace over Syria, and are not to discuss military coordination with the Russian military.
The U.S. believes Iranian-backed forces – predominantly Hezbollah operatives – are leading the Assad regime' fight near Aleppo in western Syria's Idlib province. Iranian and Syrian officials have long maintained that Iran has advisers and military experts in Syria. A U.S. official on Wednesday also told Fox News there is evidence from intelligence reports that Cuban paramilitary and special forces units are on the ground in Syria as well.
Russia began carrying out airstrikes in Syria on Sept. 30, and Syrian troops and allied militiamen began a ground offensive a week later.
http://i.imgur.com/M4wAfGB.jpg
A Russian fighter jet reportedly approached a U.S. aircraft in Syrian airspace this weekend in order to identify it, Moscow said Wednesday ahead of talks between U.S. and Russian officials about how to avoid dangerous incidents in Syria's crowded airspace.
The Wall Street Journal reports Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, said the jets came within 2 or 3 kilometers (1.2 to 1.8 miles) from the U.S. plane on Saturday, “not to intimidate, but to identify the object.”
Konashenkov said it’s not the first time such an incident has happened. He said Russian military pilots often “visually record” aircraft in Syrian airspace.
U.S. and Russian officials met Wednesday to further discuss safety as planes from both countries run bombing missions over Syria. A senior U.S. military official told the Journal that the latest rounds of talks were inching close to a “memorandum of understanding” on how to stay out of each other’s way.
The official said a formal agreement could come within the coming days, but could just be a reiteration of a non-written agreement that both sides stay away from each other.
Russia’s air campaign has mostly focused on areas of western Syria, while the U.S.-led coalition has focused its target – the ISIS terror group – in Syria’s east.
However, the U.S. has repeatedly accused Russia of targeting U.S.-backed Syrian rebels in an effort to support Syrian President Bashar Assad. A U.S. official told Fox News on Wednesday that Moscow is “deliberately targeting” CIA-trained rebels.
"Putin is deliberately targeting our forces," a U.S. official, who is disappointed in the U.S. response to Russia, told Fox News.
"Our guys are fighting for their lives," said the official, estimating up to 150 CIA-trained moderate rebels have been killed by the Russians.
“Striking ISIL continues to be the least of Moscow’s priorities in Syria," said a U.S. intelligence official who also warned Putin might not look so tough if a Russian helicopter were downed or some Russian soldiers captured.
“In the modern age of social media, one captured Russian soldier paraded by extremists could shock the Russian population,” the official said.
Russia has called for other countries to join a coalition against “terrorist groups” in Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized Washington Wednesday for refusing to consider more extensive cooperation in the sky over Syria.
“It’s hurtful,” Lavrov told the Russian parliament. He said a deal to avoid incidents is paramount, “but we are prepared to go much further, to coordinate much more deeply.”
A senior U.S. defense official said the talks with Russia officials are only to de-conflict airspace over Syria, and are not to discuss military coordination with the Russian military.
The U.S. believes Iranian-backed forces – predominantly Hezbollah operatives – are leading the Assad regime' fight near Aleppo in western Syria's Idlib province. Iranian and Syrian officials have long maintained that Iran has advisers and military experts in Syria. A U.S. official on Wednesday also told Fox News there is evidence from intelligence reports that Cuban paramilitary and special forces units are on the ground in Syria as well.
Russia began carrying out airstrikes in Syria on Sept. 30, and Syrian troops and allied militiamen began a ground offensive a week later.