WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Syrian military’s air defences would face retaliation if Syria attempted to respond to US airstrikes that are expected against Islamic State targets in Syria, senior US officials said yesterday. President Barack Obama’s authorization of the use of American airpower against Islamic State’s strongholds in Syria has raised the question of whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would respond in some way.
Senior US officials who briefed reporters said Assad should not interfere, that the United States has a good sense of where Syrian air defenses and command-and-control facilities are located.
One official said if the Assad military were to demonstrate that it was a threat to the US ability to operate in the area, it would put Syrian air defences in the region at risk.
The United States has stressed it will not coordinate with the Assad government in any way in its fight against Islamic State. Obama’s position has long been that he would like to see Assad leave power, particularly after using chemical weapons against his own people last year.
But airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria could have the indirect effect of benefiting Assad because the extremists have been fighting the Syrian government during what is now a three-year civil war.
Washington wants to train and equip Syrian rebels who are deemed to be moderate to hold territory cleared by US airstrikes.
The US military has conducted dozens of airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq, but has yet to launch any in Syria as Obama works to solidify an anti-Islamic State coalition.
