(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly)U.S. and Russian defense officials are holding more talks Wednesday via videoconference on safety procedures for their crews flying missions over Syria.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday that the discussions are progressing and that he expects an agreement "in very short order" to help prevent a potential mid-air disaster involving U.S. and Russian aircraft. "Even as we continue to disagree on Syria policy we should be able to at least agree on making sure that airman are as safe as possible" Carter said at a news conference in Boston Tuesday. "Russia must act professionally in the skies over Syria and abide by basic safety procedures." Russia's Defense Ministry issued a statement Tuesday saying it had prepared suggestions and was sending a draft to the Americans. Carter also said the U.S. mission to bomb Islamic State targets in Syria will not change but he urged the Russians to give up what he called their "failing strategy" saying it is "wrongheaded and strategically shortsighted." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that the U.S. declined to take part in broader talks about coordination in Syria that would have involved either country sending a high-level delegation to the other's capital. Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the proposal at a forum on Tuesday saying his side would have been led by Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev and included military and security officials. Meanwhile U.N. envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura is pushing a separate effort to get the U.S. and Russia on the same page in working toward a broad political resolution to the crisis in Syria. He met with officials Tuesday in Moscow and is due to hold talks Wednesday in Washington.
Aleppo offensive Russian airstrikes have helped Syrian government troops regain territory while the U.S. has criticized its campaign as targeting mostly rebel fighters and not Islamic State militants. Reuters quoted two senior regional officials Tuesday saying the Syrian army will soon launch an offensive on the northern city of Aleppo along with Russian air support and fighters from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Iran. The officials cited a "large mobilization" of Syrian troops and thousands of Iranians. Two prominent U.S. Senators used the report to further criticize what they have characterized as a weak policy in Syria from President Barack Obama. Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham who have promoted sending U.S. ground troops to Syria said the Aleppo offensive "would be the latest low point for the administration's disgraceful Syria policy."
Russian embassy bombed Also Tuesday militants fired rockets at Russia's embassy in Damascus in what Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called an "act or terror" meant to intimidate those who support the fight against Islamic State. Two rockets struck the embassy compound while hundreds of people rallied outside in support of Russia. There is no word on damage or casualties. The attack is not the only backlash against Russia. Russian security officials said Monday they had arrested several people plotting to target the Moscow transportation system who had ties to the Islamic State group. 'Eye for an eye' An Islamic State spokesman posted an online message Tuesday "calling on Muslims everywhere" to launch a jihad against Russia and the U.S. "Russia will be defeated" IS spokesman Abu Mohamed al-Adnani said in a recording posted on line. Also in an audio recording released Monday Abu Mohamed al-Jolani the head of Syria's al-Qaida affiliate Al-Nusra Front urged militants in the Caucasus to counter Moscow's air campaign by targeting Russians. "If the Russian army kills the people of Syria then kill their people. And if they kill our soldiers then kill their soldiers. An eye for an eye" al-Jolani said. State Department correspondent Pam Dockins contributed to this report.