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by Our Foreign Desk
WHITE House sources indicated yesterday that US President Barack Obama plans to accept an offer from Russia for direct military talks on its assistance to Syria in the coming days.
The Pentagon will take the lead in the discussions, but the exact level, venue and timing have yet to be determined, officials said.
Secretary of State John Kerry revealed Moscow’s offer for talks on Wednesday, saying that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had proposed in a phone call to hold a “military-to-military conversation and meeting in order to discuss the issue of precisely what will be done to de-conflict with respect to any potential risks that might be run and have a complete and clear understanding as to the road ahead and what the intentions are.”
Mr Lavrov had told him that Russia was only interested in confronting the threat posed by Islamic State (Isis) in Syria, but Mr Kerry was worried that Moscow was committed to keeping President Bashar al-Assad in power.
Washington insists on Mr Assad’s removal from office.
“If Russia is focused only on Isis and if there is a capacity for co-operation … there still is a way to get a political negotiation and outcome,” he said.
However, the credibility of the Obama administration’s policy of backing “moderate” rebels to defeat Isis rather than the national army was rocked on Wednesday by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
“That’s a joke,” said Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte after US commander General Lloyd Austin told the Senate armed services committee that just “four or five” US-trained rebels remain in the field.
Washington had boasted that it would train and equip 5,400 rebels a year at a cost of $500 million (£322m).
“We have to acknowledge this is a total failure. I wish it weren’t so, but that’s the fact,” said Republican Senator Jeff Sessions.
“It’s time for a new plan,” said Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill after Defence Undersecretary Christine Wormuth admitted that no more than 120 fighters were undergoing US military training.
