Why does the Pentagon doubt Russia's going after ISIS?
The
Russian attacks Wednesday didn't appear to hit targets under the
control of ISIS, which operates in the north and east of the country,
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said.
And
a senior U.S. administration official said a Russian airstrike near the
Syrian city of Homs "has no strategic purpose" in terms of combating
ISIS, which "shows they are not there to go after ISIL."
ISIL
is another acronym for the terror group, which is bent on solidifying a
caliphate with strict Sharia law across swaths of Iraq and Syria.
The White House took a milder tone on what Russia may be up to.
"I
think the Russians have made clear that they're not interested in
provoking a conflict," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.
"Their actions thus far indicate that that's what they believe."
Why the skepticism?
It's
not just where Russia is striking that has drawn skepticism. Even
before their airstrikes, the types of Russian equipment seen at an
airbase in Syria didn't seem necessary for fighting ISIS.
"We
see some very sophisticated air-to-air aircraft going into these
airfields. I have not seen ISIL flying any airplanes that require SA-15s
or SA-22s (Russian missiles), said Gen. Philip Breedlove, NATO's
supreme allied commander.
"I have not seen ISIL flying any airplanes that require sophisticated air-to-air capabilities."
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http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/01/world/russia-syria-airstrikes-explainer/
THIS ACTUALLY SOUNDS MORE LIKE RUSSIA WANTS TO PROVOKE ONE OF THE SUNNI STATES IN TO AN AIR BATTLE BECAUSE OF THE AIR TO AIR MISSILES. IT COULD BE A WAY TO GOAD SAUDI ARABIA TO FIGHT WITH THEM SO THEY CAN HAVE SOME JUSTIFICATION FOR TAKING SAUDI ARABIA LIKE THEY ARE TRYING TO TAKE UKRAINE.
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