Iraqi PM prepared to consider Russian air strikes on IS in Iraq

CBS News correspondent Holly Williams says the circumstances have led to an extremely risky situation, with the USA and Russian Federation conducting airstrikes at the same time in Syria, but backing different sides in the country’s complicated civil war.

Russian air strikes on Syria have killed 28 people since they were launched on Wednesday, according to the Observatory.

Here & Now’s Robin Young turns to security analyst Jim Walsh to discuss this escalating conflict that now involves just about all world’s major powers.

Attempting to assuage concerns that Moscow’s mission differed from that of the US=led coalition, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russian Federation and the USA “see eye-to-eye” on the targeting, adding, “We believe that our position is absolutely in line with global law”.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said airstrikes in the central province of Hama on Thursday hit locations of the U.S-backed rebel group, Tajamu Alezzah. He also said Russian Federation has no plans to extend its airstrikes to Iraq.

The Army of Conquest had made gains in northwestern Syria alongside other insurgent groups since May, seizing Idlib city and Jisr al-Shughour from government forces and advancing towards the coastal areas.

Putin also rejected allegations that civilians had been killed in Russian raids, dubbing the reports “information warfare”.

“The insanity of Wednesday ended with the most insane image of all: Kerry, standing beside his Russian counterpart, shaking his head in agreement”, wrote Russia expert Julia Ioffe in Foreign Policy.

On Wednesday, United States officials expressed displeasure at the Russian intervention in Syria, especially over reports that the warplanes had hit anti-regime rebels, a few of whom are backed by Washington.

The ministry’s spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham, said the “Islamic Republic of Iran considers military action by Russian Federation against armed terrorist groups to be a step toward fighting terrorism and toward resolving the current crisis” in Syria.

It has carried out its first attacks on ISIS targets within Syria and said it fears a blowback of thousands of young Russians who have joined ISIS coming home to carry out attacks.