US Strategy in Syria Incoherent, Needs Coordination With Russia

Former chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Michael Flynn said that Russia and the US have to work together in the fight against the ISIL.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The US strategy for dismantling the Islamic State (ISIL) militant group in Syria lacks consistency, former chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Michael Flynn said Monday, urging Washington to cooperate with other countries in the region.

"There is no coherence, no clarity to the strategy that we’ve had, and I have been very adamant about that," Flynn said in an interview with RT television channel.

Russia, the United States and other countries in the region should work together – both diplomatically and militarily – to defeat a "vicious" common enemy called radical Islam, the former US intelligence chief said. He also warned that lack of cooperation between Moscow and Washington in Syria could have tragic results.

"We can’t have two great nations like Russia and the US diving into this very complex situation – you can end up bumping into each other and causing something very different," Flynn said. "I do think that Russia and the US have to work together on this, and I think that there is an international coalition that has to be brought together."

The former DIA director added it was "too early to tell" if there was tactical progress at this state of the Russia’s operation against ISIL in Syria.

Russia commenced precision airstrikes on ISIL targets in Syria September 30, following a request from Syrian President Bashar Assad. Last year, a US-led coalition began bombing IS positions in the country without UN Security Council backing or the approval of the Syrian authorities.