• U.S. General Wins Assurance Iraq Will Not Seek Russia Air Strikes - The New York Times
    http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/20/world/middleeast/20reuters-mideast-crisis-usa-iraq.html

    Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, under pressure to show progress in his war against Islamic State, said on Oct. 1 that he would welcome Russian air strikes in his country.

    U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford, on his first trip to Iraq since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Oct. 1, said Abadi and Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi both told him they were not seeking Russia’s help.

    I said it would make it very difficult for us to be able to provide the kind of support that you need if the Russians were here conducting operations as well,” Dunford told a small group of reporters traveling with him after his talks.

    Both the minister of defense and the prime minister said: ’Absolutely.’ There is no request right now for the Russians to support them, there’s no consideration for the Russians to support them, and the Russians haven’t asked them to come in and conduct operations.

    Dunford also played down a much-touted Baghdad-based intelligence-sharing cell between Russia, Iran, Syria and Iraq, which has stoked questions about Moscow’s intentions in Iraq.

    A senior Iraqi parliamentary figure said last week that Baghdad had already begun bombing Islamic State jihadists with the help of new intelligence center in Baghdad.

    But Obeidi, Dunford said, told him during closed-door talks in Baghdad that the intelligence cell so far “hasn’t stood up.

    He said they have not done anything right now,” Dunford said.

    • Voilà les USA bien empressés tout-à-coup ! On s’en réjouit, si c’est pour faire triompher les forces du Bien. Mais quelque chose me dit que leur grande crainte était de se faire évincer de leur « province » irakienne...