Russian Federation wants anti-IS alliance with US, France and even Turkey

Mr Obama said: “Russia’s strikes against the moderate opposition only bolster the Assad regime”. The U.S.is deeply skeptical of President Vladimir Putin’s motivations, given his longstanding support for Syrian President Bashar Assad.

In putting the onus on the French and other Europeans, the White House emphasized the longstanding sense among USA officials that their allies on the other side of the ocean did not share their view of the need for action.

In his first press conference after the attacks, in Antalya, Turkey, Obama argued testily that alternative plans from Republicans ignored realities on the ground, saying that his own interactions with wounded troops instilled a wariness toward war.

Obama described Russian Federation as a power that is acting in Syria as an “outlier” of the worldwide community, because while the United States and France form part of a coalition of 65 countries, Moscow “right now is a coalition of two, Iran and Russian Federation, supporting Assad”. What the Presidents won’t do is intervene with more military forces.

Hollande, who spent just a few hours in Washington as he was making his way across the globe to meet with counterparts, said France now had a “relentless determination to fight terrorism everywhere and anywhere” and would “scale up our strikes” against the Islamic State in Syria and in Iraq. Mr Holland said the closure of the border was “a matter of urgency”.

Hollande’s hard task became even more arduous after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border on Tuesday.

“‘For better or worse, right or wrong, [the US needs] Putin if there is going to be any resolution and any kind of political transition in Syria”, Miller said”.

Without any major new commitments to announce alongside Hollande, Obama instead touted a new intelligence sharing agreement announced last week that has helped France target ISIS sites in Raqqa, Syria.

Milbank said that while tough talk won’t defeat the terrorists, it’s no coincidence that Hollande’s support has increased thanks to his tough response to the terrorist attacks in France, while Obama’s poll numbers have dipped after his tepid remarks. They also said they feared that US-Russian military cooperation would strain US ties with moderate rebel groups, some of whom Washington is backing militarily.

“And I expect to be in communications, potentially directly, with (Turkish) President sometime over the next several days”, Obama told a crowded joint news conference with the French President Francois Hollande.

Obama and Hollande joined UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in warning against any escalation.

The United States and France on Tuesday made a decision to intensify airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria and support those fighting against it on the ground. The Obama administration has been careful to avoid calling attention to the civilian casualties.

Hollande’s alignment with Obama was notable, given that he was expected to urge the USA president to put aside some of his differences with Russian Federation to build a new coalition to fight the extremists.

Said Obama: “Each of us, all of us must show that America is strengthened by people of every faith and every background”.

DAMASCUS, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) – The Turkish downing of a Russian warplane aims to send a message to Moscow that there are red lines Ankara can not tolerate to be violated, analysts say. The French President has repeatedly stated that the fight against terrorism is impossible without Russia’s participation.