U.S. and Russia Agree on Steps to Combat ISIS in Syria - The New York Times
▻http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/16/world/middleeast/us-and-russia-agree-on-steps-to-combat-isis-in-syria.html
MOSCOW — The United States and Russia announced a tentative deal on Friday to coordinate airstrikes against the Islamic State and the Nusra Front , Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria.
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Mr. Kerry made clear that defeating the Nusra Front was a major American priority.
“So if some critic is criticizing the United States or Russia for going after Al Nusra, which is a terrorist organization, because they’re good fighters against Assad, they have their priorities completely screwed up,” Mr. Kerry said. “The fact is that Nusra is plotting against countries in the world. What happened in Nice last night could just as well come from Nusra or wherever it came from as any other entity. Because that’s what they do.”
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The United States has carried out occasional strikes against what have been described as senior Qaeda figures in Syria. But it has refrained from systematic attacks against the Nusra Front, whose ranks are heavily Syrian, including many who left less extreme rebel groups because Nusra was better armed and financed.