According to a leaked U.S. proposal, the United States will offer Russia a military pact against the Islamic State and al-Qaida in Syria.
The eight-page document contains proposals for joint bombing operations, a command-and-control headquarters as well as other synchronized efforts. U.S. and Russian efforts specializing in intelligence will “work together to defeat” extremist groups.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, set to discuss the plan in Moscow on Thursday, declined to comment.
“I’m going to Moscow, meeting with President Putin tonight. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about it and I’ll give you all a sense of where we are.”
Dmitry Peskov, a Putin spokesman, stated that only joint U.S.-Russian efforts would result in effectively fighting terrorism in Syria. Although for years the United States has demanded President Bashar al-Assad leave power, this alliance would place the United States in collaboration with Assad’s chief international backer.
The proposed “Joint Implementation Group” would have its headquarters near Amman, Jordan. The United States and Russia would share intelligence and coordinate
Officials at the State Department, Pentagon and U.S. intelligence community disagree with the latest plan, according to American officials. They are worried about working too closely with Russia. U.S. officials said there has been no agreement reached with Moscow yet.
