Syria conflict: Russian Federation ‘launches fresh strikes’

US, Russian defense officials exchanged ideas during a video conference on deconfliction efforts earlier on Thursday, a day after Moscow launched its first airstrikes on Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) positions in Syria, Russia-based Sputnik News reported. “I am skeptical that the Su-30s are there purely to collect ‘intel.’ Presume that the Russians have other traditional ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] collectors to do that”, the senior intelligence official said. Rebel leaders on the ground there say they know precisely whom Moscow is targeting – and it isn’t the Islamic State. The Russians asked the Americans and Israelis to clear Syrian air space before the attack.

Coordinator of the Russian Defense Ministry’s department of general inspectors Gen. Yuri Yakubov said everyone loyal to the legitimate Syrian authorities should be provided with modern arms so that they could resist ISIS members.

After other rebel fighters and the U.S. claimed disputed this, a Kremlin spokesman clarified that a list of “well-known” terrorist group were being targeted.

Russian warplanes conducted air strikes on CIA-backed groups in Syria, US Senator John McCain said Thursday, a claim which if true could mark an escalation in tensions between Moscow and Washington.

Recent Russian attacks on supposedly Daesh-held areas in Homs and Hama reportedly result in the deaths of 36 civilians; including women and children, according to the Syrian National Council opposition group.

Yaalon spelled out Israel’s red lines in Syria, which, if crossed, will provoke an Israeli reaction.

Western powers, such as France and the U.S., have also expressed doubts over who was targeted. “We have no intention of giving up our ability to defend our interests”.

Russia’s military maneuvers in Syria have the attention of Congress. The incident occurred during the so-called War of Attrition between Israel and Egypt along the Suez Canal in 1970. He also said the coalition needed Canada for the Syria mission because of the weaponry carried by CF-18s. The Soviets posted several squadrons of MIGs at Egyptian air bases. Iran has announced its full support for the Russian air campaign.

Embedding with pilots, meteorologists, engineers, anti-aircraft defence soldiers and kitchen staff, they captured life on the frontline and the spartan facilities they are having to cope with. “They were much more focused on fighting other opposition groups and gaining land their opponents had already acquired”. At a signal, the Israeli Phantoms and Mirages began to converge on the target area. Check out our two programs, The Editor’s Roundtable (The E.R.) and Global Thinkers for more foreign policy insight, commentary and analysis.

The Americans and the European nations have been standing by and watching the fighting, watching the advance of Isis, watching the killing of civilians for more than four years now – it it is a bit of a master move on the part of the Russians, and at the same time a humiliation for the likes of Obama and David Cameron.