Solsticewitch13's BOS: Obama and Hollande blast Putin over airstrikes that are ‘HELPING Islamic State’

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Obama and Hollande blast Putin over airstrikes that are ‘HELPING Islamic State’

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/609608/Barack-Obama-Vladimir-Putin-Syria-airstrikes-helping-ISIS

FRANCE has accused Russian war jets of targeting Western-backed rebels, with only one airstrike so far hitting an Islamic State (ISIS) target.

By Tom Batchelor

PUBLISHED: 21:23, Fri, Oct 2, 2015 | UPDATED: 21:48, Fri, Oct 2, 2015

REUTERS

Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama meeting at the UN this week

Vladimir Putin and Francois Hollande met to discuss the action as Russian generals confirmed 14 further strikes on targets in Syria took place today.

One attack reportedly destroyed a large ISIS bomb-making facility, while the Kremlin claimed others had hit a command post, bunker and storage depot used by the extremist group.

But Barack Obama said Russia’s bombing campaign was strengthening rather than degrading ISIS in the region.

The US president said Putin flexing his muscles in the region was a sign of weakness and that Russia would be stuck in a quagmire if they continued to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets French President Francois Hollande

REUTERS

Putin met French President Francois Hollande today

Vladimir Putin (2nd L), Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R, front), U.S. President Barack Obama (L) and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry

REUTERS

Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Barack Obama and John Kerry

Earlier, the French president demanded Putin “attack Islamic State and only Islamic State”.
Mr Hollande and his Russian counterpart, meeting in Paris, had made "efforts to bridge the differences" over whether Assad should remain in power.

Tough words from France come as Syria’s foreign minister claimed airstrikes alone would not be enough to defeat ISIS if there is no cooperation with his country's army.

Walid al-Moallem, speaking at the UN, described Russia’s involvement as “effective” but added that his country's army "is capable of cleansing the country of those terrorists [ISIS]".

Russian jets carried out a third day of airstrikes in Syria

REUTERS

Russian jets hitting a target in Syria

Elsewhere, a jihadi cleric based in Syria has warned Russia that the Arab country will be a "graveyard for invaders”.

Abdullah al-Muhaysini, who is linked to the al-Qaida affiliate the Nusra Front, warned the Russians that Syria will be another Afghanistan.

In a video released today, a Saudi militant said that the Russian intervention would boost the morale of jihadis fighting in Syria.

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