Putin seeks partners to fight jihadists

The two leaders will meet in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Iraqi military announced that it would begin to share “security and intelligence” information on ISIS with Iran, Russia, and Syria, a move that further muddies the waters in the war against Islamic State.

In the interview, recorded ahead of a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday, Putin sharply criticised US military support for Syrian rebels, describing it as illegal and useless.

Diplomatic wins – including the Iran nuclear deal and a thaw in U.S.-Cuba ties- have given Obama a boost.

Russia, Iran, Iraq and Syria have agreed to establish a joint information center in Baghdad to coordinate their operations against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIL/ISIS) militants, according to sources.

He said that his country will continue to work closely with the U.S.-led coalition that has been bombing the IS group in Syria and Iraq, saying Iraq needs “all the world’s intelligence efforts in order to fight, to besiege and to terminate Daesh“.

The USA “provision of military support to illegal structures runs counter to the principles of modern worldwide law and the United Nations charter”, Putin said. He added that “Iran and the Russians have an nearly compatible mindset and opinion about this because they have the same goal of fighting and defeating terrorism”.

Assad said the USA and Europe were responsible for the refugee crisis and the rise of extremists in Syria because they had backed his enemies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s criticism of U.S. strategy in Syria indicates that Moscow does not tolerate USA plans to oust President Bashar al-Assad, says an American analyst.

“I have always said that it is important that Isil is defeated in Syria as in Iraq”.

The USA has a $500-million programme to train and equip vetted moderates recruited from among the rebels fighting Assad’s forces but it has faced repeated setbacks.

“That is not a problem for us right now, to start holding discussions and dialogues so as to determine and reach the conclusion of the next plan of action after the terrorists are driven out that territory”, Mr Rouhani said.

However Mr Cameron will use a series of one-to-one meetings with other leaders – including Mr Obama – to make the case that a peaceful solution will ultimately require a different leadership which the whole country can unite around.

Moscow has sold fighter jets and weaponry to Iraq but has taken the back seat as Iran and the US-led coalition – which also includes France and Britain – often competed to be Baghdad’s top partner in the war against IS.

But he was accused by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of failing to show leadership on the issue by choosing not to address the main UN General Assembly session in person, leaving it to Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond to speak for the United Kingdom on Syria.