Hezbollah, Iran, Syria, and Russia vs. the US-led anti-ISIS alliance: Cooperation or confrontation? | Al Akhbar English
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The answer might be a combination of both. The White House must measure things very carefully to appease conflicting interests within the alliance. US military officials want the White House to provide answers about air corridors that would not be possible without coordination with the Syrians, Russians, and Iranians.
According to sources, there are signs that contacts have already been made between Syrians and Americans through the Norwegian embassy in Damascus. Iraqi National Security Adviser Faleh al-Fayad, according to the same sources, visited President Assad as an “American” rather than an Iraqi envoy. Recent Syrian air sorties and precise strikes against ISIS positions also indicate there has been coordination with the Americans, even if through a third party.