PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Barack Obama
“Senior officials” have said that the Obama Administration is putting a review of strategy against the Islamic State on hold, because Washington needs more information about Russia’s intentions in Syria as well as “President Obama’s desire for clarification of the proposals”.
Since September 2014 and the start of US aerial operations inside Syria, Obama has repeatedly said that the Administration will produce a “comprehensive strategy” to deal with the Islamic State in both Syria and neighboring Iraq. However, that promise has not been fulfilled: in June, Obama said, “We don’t yet have a complete strategy”, and earlier this month, he merely spoke of “a political transition process within Syria” and cooperation “in countering terrorist activity in the region”.
@BeirutCalling 2 years ago a State Dept person working on Syria full-time told me: "I don't know what our goals are"
— Thomas Pierret (@ThomasPierret) September 27, 2015
The Administration officials said that, rather than reaching strategic conclusions now, Obama will ask Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Monday in New York about Moscow’s views and operations. The meeting, the first between the Presidents in two years, will follow speeches by each before the UN General Assembly in the morning.
The sources said Obama will hold a Tuesday summit of the “anti-Islamic State coalition”, while Secretary of State John Kerry holds individual meetings with coalition counterparts.
The Washington Post’s summary of the Administration’s perspective gives no clues as to what the US might do next Instead, “what appears certain is that the preferred U.S. outcome — Moscow’s agreement to support a political negotiation among Syrians including the early departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a Russian client — is not what Putin has in mind”.
Meanwhile, the strategic review will have to be conducted with a change of personnel in the Administration. General Martin Dempsey, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired on Friday. President Obama’s envoy for the anti-Islamic State campaign, General John Allen, is soon leaving amid claims of his frustration at the Administration’s inaction.
