U.S. military drones flown on missions in war zones are operated out of Nevada’s Creech Air Force Base. (Photo: REUTERS)
President Obama authorized surveillance missions conducted by U.S. drones over Syria last weekend, and now the first flights have begun their missions, according to the Associated Press. While the authorization was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the AP reported that the flights had started Tuesday, a development that could precede airstrikes against Islamic State militants based in northern Syria.
On Monday, the Syrian regime demanded that the U.S. seek permission before launching any airstrikes on its territory against Islamic State targets, but whether that permission was obtained has not yet been confirmed.
Top Pentagon officials have made it clear that the only way to stop the threat from the ISIS militants is to go after the group inside Syria, rather than striking at fringe positions in Iraq.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army General Martin Dempsey, told reporters in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday that the U.S. wants more clarity on the militants in Syria, but would not comment on the surveillance flights.
“Clearly the picture we have of ISIS on the Iraqi side is a more refined picture,” said Dempsey, using one of the acronyms for the Islamic State group. “The existence and activities of ISIS on the Syrian side, we have … some insights into that but we certainly want to have more insights into that as we craft a way forward.”
As of now, there are no orders to strike at targets in Syria, though for the first time since the ISIS threat became public record, the potential for that to change is growing. President Obama has come under pressure to respond following the beheading of American journalist James Foley by a man Western intellegence sources claimed Saturday to be Abdel Majed Abdel Bary.
Public comments made Monday by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem revealed a striking different tone out of Syrian officials since Obama balked on his self-imposed “red line.” Speaking in Damascus, al-Moallem his government is ready “to cooperate and coordinate” with any side, including the U.S., or join any regional or international alliance against the Islamic State group. He also said that any strike on Syrian soil should have the consent of the government.
“Any strike which is not coordinated with the government will be considered as aggression,” he said.
During Obama’s calls for airstrikes in the country last year, many opposed the action based on the reports that ISIS fighters were consuming the rebels, which in essence, would have helped the militant terror group. The Syrian foreign minister said his country had been warning of the terrorist threat inside of Syria, but “no one listened to us.”
However, State Department officials weren’t exactly keen on the idea of a truce between the Assad government and the United States, stating that the decision to move forward with strikes against ISIS will be made with or without their consent.
“Just because the Syrian regime may be taking on ISIL or …speaking publicly about that, and certainly the United States is, it certainly doesn’t mean we’re on the same side of the coin here,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Monday.
Asked specifically whether the U.S. would have permission to act in Syria, she said: “I think when American lives are at stake, when we’re talking about defending our own interests, we’re not looking for the approval of the Syrian regime.”
