A U.S. official told CNN Wednesday that four Russian military
helicopters have arrived at the airbase in Syria that Russia is beefing up,
adding to the mobility of the Russian forces there.
The four
helicopters also appear in satellite images provided to CNN by AllSource
Analysis. The company said they were taken Tuesday and show Bassel al-Assad
International Airport in Syria with newly paved areas, tanks and other
equipment.
Even as Russia moves
tanks, mobile artillery and armored vehicles into Syria, Defense Secretary
Ashton Carter at this point is deferring to Secretary of State John Kerry to
lead U.S. discussions with his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov, on Russian military moves into Syria, according to the Pentagon.
"Because we
already have effective communications with Russia through a variety of
channels, most notably between Secretary Kerry and his counterpart, to date
there has been no reason for Secretary Carter to initiate another,"
Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in an emailed statement.
Kerry said
Wednesday that in his third conversation with Lavrov in less than a week, he
made "clear that Russia's continued support for (Bashar al-Assad) risks
escalating the conflict and undermining our shared goal of fighting
extremism."
Kerry told CNN's Elise Labott that Lavrov assured him that the
Russian plan is to fight ISIS, but Kerry said he isn't taking it "at face
value, because we look at the type of airplanes or the types of munitions and
so forth, and it obviously raises much more serious questions about what is
happening."
He also said the
Russians are proposing a "military-to-military conversation" aimed at
ensuring Russian and coalition forces don't conflict with one another in the
skies and elsewhere.
Behind the scenes, top military officials agree, and they said
it is becoming essential to determine Russia's military intentions. If Russian
ground forces were to begin to move around, the U.S. would want to know where
those units are to ensure they are not accidentally targeted by coalition air
forces, a defense official told CNN.
Similarly, if
Russia moves in fighter jets, the Pentagon would need to discuss in detail with
the Russians how to manage potential conflict in the airspace.
Pentagon
officials said they believe the current Russian buildup will continue for
several more days, but then Russia may finally signal its intentions and
strategy during the upcoming U.N. General Assembly.
How to deal on a
military basis with the Russians will be among the first challenges for Gen.
Joseph Dunford, who takes over as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff later
this month. Dunford is expected to travel to the Middle East within weeks of
taking office.
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