U.S. military says crisis communications link with Russia 'in use'

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Friday that a crisis communications link with Russia meant to avoid an accidental clash over Syria was "in use," even after Moscow threatened to abandon it over the U.S. downing of a Syrian military jet on Sunday.

 

"The deconfliction line is open and it is in use," Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, a Baghdad-based spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State in Iraq and Syria told a Pentagon news conference.

 

The remarks were the latest indication of a possible easing of tensions in the wake of the U.S. shootdown of the Syrian jet.

 

Russia also said on Monday it would treat U.S.-led coalition aircraft flying west of the Euphrates River in Syria as potential targets and track them with missile systems and military aircraft.

 

But the Pentagon later said that Russia was not carrying out any actions in Syria that caused it concern.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-24

The US State Dept is woefully understaffed, largely due to Trump being asleep at the wheel when he's not following right-wing shout-radio or tweeting from his gold-covered toilet at 6 am.

 

How can we believe anything announced from the Oval Office or from the Pentagon?  More often than not, they'be been proved to be wrong.   Their credence quotient is about 1.3 out of 10.  One of many examples:  The Carl Vinson carrier group was heading south when Trump and all his inepts announced it was heading west.

 

 

4 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

How can we believe anything announced from the Oval Office or from the Pentagon?

If information that comes from the Pentagon, it can be believed. Trump has delegated his Commander-in-Chief authority to Gen. Mattis to conduct US military operations in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Unlike Trump, Mattis has not flip-flopped or lied to the public and has presented full and clear testimony before Congress on US military operations in the Middle East.

 

So Trump is essentially isolated from Middle East military theater operations. Despite his still-secret plan to end ISIS within 30 days on becoming POTUS. The drawback is that the military does not and cannot address the political endgame ... and Trump has none.