Putin’s motives questioned as Russia targets pro-Western rebels, not Islamic State, in Syria
(Worthy News) – Russian President Vladimir Putin, ignoring Washington, escalated his war in Syria against Islamist armies Wednesday by launching a sea bombardment along with air and land attacks.
NATO allies said the Russians are overwhelmingly targeting pro-Western rebels, rejecting Moscow’s public relations line that it is going after a common enemy: the Islamic State’s terrorist army.
The West increasingly views Mr. Putin’s military adventure as an effort to rebuild the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad by eliminating opposition groups funded and organized by the United States. They see little evidence that he is hitting facilities run by the Islamic State, also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh. [ Source ]
‘More than 90%’ of Russian airstrikes in Syria have not targeted Isis, US says
A large majority of Russia’s military strikes in Syria have not been aimed at the Islamic State group or jihadists tied to al-Qaida, and have instead targeted the moderate Syrian opposition, the US State Department said on Wednesday.
“Greater than 90% of the strikes that we’ve seen them take to date have not been against Isil or al-Qaida-affiliated terrorists,” said spokesman John Kirby. [ Source ]
U.S. Rules Out Cooperation with Russia as Moscow Launches First Naval Strikes on Syria
The U.S. ruled out strategic collaboration with Moscow in the Middle East and said Russia has built up a ground force inside Syria with heavy weaponry that could support a Syrian army offensive.
Russia escalated its assault on opponents of Bashar al-Assad’s regime with its first naval bombardment on Wednesday. It launched a volley of 26 medium-range cruise missiles from four warships in the Caspian Sea nearly 1,000 miles away.
For the first time since Moscow’s direct intervention in the Syrian conflict a week ago, Russian warplanes and helicopters appeared to be aiding a ground assault by pro-regime forces and militias against rebel forces focused in the central Syrian province of Hama, according to opposition activists and fighters. [ Source ]