FM: Syria ‘Satisfied’ With US on ISIS Airstrikes

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem today insisted that his government remains comfortable with US airstrikes against targets inside their country, noting that the US had kept them more or less apprised of the situation.

“We are fighting ISIS, they are fighting ISIS,” noted al-Moallem, saying that while the US hasn’t informed them before every single strike the amount of communications provided is “OK.”

Officially the US hasn’t coordinated with Syria at all on the strikes, but has been indirectly providing them details through other nations, mainly Iraq. Moallem says they got a 24 hour advanced notice of the first US strikes.

Not that Moallem was universally comfortable with US policy toward Syria. He warned that the US was playing a dangerous game with its “dual policy” of striking some rebel factions while arming and bankrolling others, saying it was a recipe for creating even more violence across Syria, and more terrorist factions.

He also single out members of the US coalition, mostly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, for backing extremist rebel factions, saying that combating ISIS wouldn’t help so long as such nations are continuing to support them.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.