Despite deep misgivings by some in the Pentagon, and his own skepticism about Russian motives in Syria, Defense Secretary Ash Carter supports a diplomatic initiative that would have the U.S. military share intelligence and coordinate airstrikes in Syria, the Pentagon said Thursday.
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said that while Carter remains wary of Moscow’s motives in Syria, the secretary is “open to the discussion,” or ways the two militaries could cooperate against a common enemy, the al Qaeda-linked al Nusra front, which was specifically excluded from a ceasefire that supposedly went into effect back in February.
“The secretary trusts Secretary [John] Kerry and all those who are having a conversation with the Russians about their role in Syria to do everything they can to try and convince the Russians to do the right thing in Syria,” Cook said.
The secret negotiations with the Russians were first disclosed by the Washington Post, which has posted a document outlining the terms the U.S. is proposing.
It involves setting up a joint command center in Jordan to “enable coordination between the participants for military operations against Nusra,” including what the document describes as “independent, but synchronized” efforts against the both Nusra and the Islamic State.
Kerry is in Moscow trying to hammer out the deal with his Russian counterpart.
“In Moscow, Secretary Kerry is discussing with the Russians the importance of focusing their efforts on ISIL and al Qaeda, while at the same time emphasizing the urgent need for Russia and the Syrian regime to take steps to meet their commitments under the Cessation of Hostilities,” said a senior State Department official.
The official stressed that the U.S. is not now conducting or coordinating military operations with Russia, “nor is it clear we will reach an agreement to do so.”
Russia first proposed the idea of joint airstrikes against the al Nusra front in May, and at the time Pentagon officials brushed off the idea as a “non-starter,” and even today many Pentagon sources say privately they think it is a mistake to conduct operation alongside Russia, which it has accused of reckless bombing and deliberate deception.
But the State Department sees the limited military alliance as a way get Russian support to ground the air force of Syrian President Bashar Assad, which has killed tens of thousands of civilians since the civil war began.
