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UP FRONTThursday 1 October 2015
US warns Russia against striking non-IS groups in Syria
MATTHEW LEE U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at U.N. not be supporting the
LOLITA C. BALDOR headquarters, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015. Assad government, and
Associated Press their military moves are
WASHINGTON (AP) — De- (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) “doomed to fail.”
fense Secretary Ash Carter Carter also expressed dis-
said Wednesday that the alternative acronym for Is- porters flatly, “Don’t listen A key unanswered ques- appointment that the Rus-
Russian airstrikes in Syriaap- lamic State. “The result of to the Pentagon about tion, however, is what the sians did not use formal
pear to have targeted ar- this kind of action will inevi- the Russian strikes” and re- U.S. will do if the Russian channels to provide the
eas that do not include tably simply be to inflame ferred them to the Russian airstrikes target moderate U.S. with advance notice
Islamic State fighters, a the civil war in Syria.” defense ministry website. Syrian rebel groups work- of its airstrikes, but instead
development which Sec- Carter said he couldn’t The top national security ing with the coalition in the sent an official to the U.S.
retary of State John Kerry confirm reports that the officials spoke as Russia fight against the Islamic Embassy in Baghdad for
said would cause “grave Russian strikes may have hit launched its first airstrikes State. Asked directly if the what he characterized as
concern” for the United civilians, but said, “if it oc- in Syria targeting what it coalition would protect an unprofessional “drop-
States. curred, it’s yet another rea- said were Islamic State the U.S.-trained or aligned in.”
Kerry told the United Na- son why this kind of Russian positions. On Wednesday, groups, Carter did not an- Kerry said discussions to
tions Security Council that action can and will back- some U.S.-backed rebel swer. avoid any accidental con-
the U.S. would not object fire very badly on Russia.” groups claimed they were Instead, Carter said the flicts could begin as early
to Russians hitting Islam- Carter’s comments trig- hit by Russian airstrikes but strikes highlight a contradic- as Thursday.
ic State or al-Qaida tar- gered a dismissive response those claims could not be tion in Russia’s approach. “By supporting Assad and
gets, but airstrikes just to from Lavrov, who told re- confirmed. He said the Russians should seemingly taking on every-
strengthen the hand of Syr- one who is fighting Assad,
ian President Bashar Assad you’re taking on the whole
would be worrisome. Later, rest of the country of Syr-
after meeting with Russian ia,” Carter said. “That is not
Foreign Minister Lavrov, our position. At least some
Kerry said he had spo- parts of the anti-Assad op-
ken about U.S. “concerns position belong in the po-
about the nature of the litical transition going for-
targets, the type of targets ward. That’s why the Rus-
and the need for clarity sian approach is doomed
with respect for them. to fail.”
“It is one thing obviously He added that more for-
to be targeting ISIL. We mal talks with the Russians
are concerned obviously if should get under way
that is not what is happen- “within days.” A U.S. official
ing,” Kerry said. said the meeting would
“It does appear they were involve a U.S. military of-
in in areas where there ficer and a senior Defense
probably were not ISIL Department civilian, and
forces,” Carter said of the could be either by secure
Russian airstrikes, using an video teleconference or in
person. The details are still
Syria’s Assad welcomes Russian military moves being worked out.
White House spokesman
ALBERT AJI troops to Syria. The Kremlin, wounded dozens of peo- he expects Russia will target Josh Earnest said the new
BASSEM MROUE however, sought to play ple on Wednesday. militants from the former So- action “calls into question
Associated Press down the decision, saying An activist group known viet Union — whether they their strategy, because
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — it will only use its air force as the Local Coordination belong to the Islamic State when President Putin and
Syrian President Bashar in the Mideast country, not Committees claimed that group or al-Qaida’s affiliate President Obama had the
Assad welcomed Wednes- ground troops. the warplanes that carried in Syria, the Nusra Front. opportunity to meet at
day’s decision by Russia to According to a statement out the air raids were Rus- The areas that were hit in the U.N. earlier this week
send troops to his war-torn by Assad’s office, the Syr- sian. the airstrikes in central Syria much of their discussion
country, saying the military ian leader had sent a let- It cited residents in the ar- are not under the control was focused on the need
support from Moscow is the ter to his Russian counter- eas bombed as saying the of the Islamic State for a political transition in-
result of a Damascus re- part, asking for the sup- the explosions were much group. side Syria.”
quest. port. Assad’s Facebook more powerful and accu- The LCC said dozens of Kerry said Russian opera-
The development came page also reiterated that rate than those carried out people were killed and tions must not support
as Russian military jets car- it “came upon a request by government warplanes. wounded in the air raids on Assad or interfere with
ried out airstrikes in Syria from the Syrian state.” However, Rami Abdurrah- Homs while the Observa- those of the U.S.-led coali-
on Wednesday for the first Russia has been one of man, who heads another tory said 27, including six tion that is already attack-
time. Assad’s strongest allies activist group, the Britain- children, were died. ing Islamic State targets.
A U.S. defense official told since the Syrian crisis be- based Syrian Observatory The Observatory said towns “If Russia’s actions and
The Associated Press that gan in March 2011. The for Human Rights, said the of Rastan, Talbiseh and those now ongoing reflect
the airstrikes took place civil war has killed more air raids were carried out Zaafaraneh were hit. a genuine commitment to
near Homs — Syria’s larg- than 250,000 people and by government warplanes After the air raids, rebels defeat (Islamic State) then
est provinces that borders wounded a million, ac- which Damascus had re- shelled government-held we are prepared to wel-
Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. cording to U.N. figures. cently received from Mos- neighborhoods in the city come those efforts and to
Russian lawmakers earlier On the ground, Syrian ac- cow. He said the new war- of Homs, killing at least one find a way to de-conflict
Wednesday voted unani- tivists said that air raids on planes were Russian-made person and wounding sev- our operations and there-
mously to let President the central provinces of Sukhoi and MiGs. en, according to governor by multiply military pres-
Vladimir Putin send Russian Homs and Hama killed and Abdurrahman added that Talal Barrazi.q sure on ISIL and affiliated
groups,” Kerry said. q
