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World|politics|July 15, 2016 / 11:28 AM
Kerry's Syria plan greeted with concern over Russian intentions

AKIPRESS.COM - John Kerry -Vladimir Putin As U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday to propose close military coordination in Syria, the White House and Pentagon offered lukewarm support for the plan and demanded that Moscow show it was serious about fighting Islamic State, not just propping up President Bashar al-Assad, reports Reuters.

Kerry himself took a tough line after his meeting on Thursday with Putin, State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Moscow.

"Secretary Kerry emphasized that absent concrete, near-term steps, diplomatic efforts could not continue indefinitely," Kirby said.

Kerry's proposal would create a new center where U.S. and Russian militaries would share intelligence and coordinate air strikes against Islamic State and the Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda affiliate. The move has angered U.S. military and intelligence officers and diplomats who argue that Russia has proved repeatedly that it cannot be trusted.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said Defense Secretary Ash Carter supported Kerry's efforts to encourage Moscow to "do the right thing" in Syria. But he added that Carter has experience dealing with Moscow and maintains a "healthy dose of skepticism" about Russia's aims in the conflict.

"The secretary supports Secretary Kerry's effort... but he has also said that he's had questions about the Russian activities up to this point," Cook told reporters.

"If the Russians are prepared to do the right thing in Syria, then the secretary of defense would be open to that conversation," he said. "But we're waiting to see what's going on... It's not clear that we'll ever reach an agreement."

Kerry has expressed growing frustration with the lack of progress in ending Syria's five-year civil war despite agreements with Russia to secure a lasting nationwide cessation of hostilities and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches besieged communities. UN-led efforts to bring the warring sides together to negotiate a political transition also have failed.

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