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The U.S. military on Friday dispatched two F-22 Raptors stealth fighter jets to intercept a pair of Syrian Su-24 Fencer aircraft that flew in the vicinity of Hasakah, Syria, according to news accounts citing an unnamed Pentagon official. The American pilots of the fifth-generation fighters made by Lockheed Martin Corp. tried to radio the Syrian pilots but didn’t receive a response, according to CNN’s Barbara Starr. The Raptors chased away the Fencers to protect U.S. Special Operations forces that are operating in the area, and no
weapons were fired, according to The Los Angeles Times’ W.J. Hennigan.
The incident came a day after the U.S. scrambled fighters against Syrian Su-24s that bombed Kurdish forces operating near American special operations forces on the ground in the northeast part of the country in an incident that was the closest the U.S. has come to combat in the war-torn country, according to Military.com’s Richard Sisk.
When pushed further about Russia, Pentagon spokesman, Peter Cook, made it clear that the US would make the same aggression against Russian jets who are operating legally with the Syrian government’s approval and coordination.“If they threaten US forces, we always have the right to defend our forces,”
This means that the U.S. not only is at war against the legitimate government of Syria, but that the U.S. government will also be at war against Russia if Russian forces (which the Syrian government did invite into Syria) defends Syrian forces from attacks in Syria by U.S. forces — forces that are illegally there.
“Turkey opened Incirlik airbase to fight Daesh [Islamic State, formerly ISIS/ISIL] terrorists. It is being used by the US and Qatar. Other nations might also wish to use the airbase, which the Germans are also now using,” Yildirim told reporters on Saturday, as quoted by Anadolu news.
“If necessary, the Incirlik base can be used,” the PM said when asked if Moscow could share the airfield as well. At the same time, he firmly denied recent media reports claiming that Moscow has been pressuring Turkey to lease Incirlik to the Russian air force, saying “this information is not correct.”
UNITED NATIONS — Syria’s foreign minister said Monday that his government is satisfied with the U.S.-led bombing campaign against the Islamic State group, adding that the airstrikes should be expanded to include all other militant groups in Syria.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Walid al-Moallem said the fight against terrorism has aligned Damascus with Western and Arab opponents in fighting the same enemy.
Al-Moallem said the U.S. does not inform Syria of every strike before it happens, “but it’s OK.”
“We are fighting ISIS, they are fighting ISIS,” he said, referring to the group by one of its acronyms.
He spoke as U.S.-led coalition airstrikes targeted towns in northern and eastern Syria controlled by the Islamic State group, including one strike that Syrian activists said hit a grain silo and reportedly killed civilians.
Washington and Arab allies opened their air assault against the extremist group last week in Syria, going after the group’s military facilities, training camps, heavy weapons and oil installations. The campaign expands upon the airstrikes the United States has been conducting against the militants in Iraq since early August.
Some of the initial strikes targeted the Nusra Front, al-Qaida’s Syria affiliate, hitting several of its facilities and killing dozens of its fighters. Washington said it was trying to take out an al-Qaida cell known as the Khorasan Group that was actively plotting attacks against Americans and Western interests.
The U.S.-led coalition includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan.
Al-Moallem said he considered the Islamic State group, the Nusra Front and all Islamist groups fighting in Syria to be essentially on the same side and should all be hit.
“Without doubt, because they have the same ideology. They have the same extremist ideology,” he said.
Asked whether the strikes should include the loose umbrella rebel group known as the Free Syrian Army, a Western-backed group, he said the group “does not exist” anymore.
Al-Moallem said Syria heard from the United States 24 hours before it launched its initial airstrikes last week.
“Until today, we are satisfied. As long as they are aiming at ISIS locations in Syria and in Iraq, we are satisfied,” he said.
adding that the airstrikes should be expanded to include all other militant groups in Syria.
originally posted by: roadgravel
adding that the airstrikes should be expanded to include all other militant groups in Syria.
Was there a footnote added that "all other militant groups" should not include those funded by the US?