Putin's overflights expose Obama's impotence

Vladimir Putin

The Iraqi government may have a new pal: Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sen. Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, suggested during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday that Iraq rejected an Obama administration appeal to close off its airspace to Russian aircraft. A request made with Bulgaria was honored.

“I would say it’s problematic for Russia to be resupplying its forces in Syria by flying through Iraq,” Cotton said, the Washington Times reported Wednesday. "We should renew our request that they exclude Russian aircraft from their airspace. And our military should be ready to assist them in excluding Russian aircraft from their airspace."

The U.S. has struggled to find a response to Moscow's September entrance into Syria. Russian aircraft have repeatedly conducted airstrikes on behalf of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Obama administration asserts, however, that Moscow is also targeting U.S.-backed rebels.

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Secretary of State John Kerry has used his self-described rhetoric of "de-confliction" with every escalation by Moscow.

"If Russia's recent actions and those now ongoing reflect a genuine commitment to defeat [the Islamic State], then we are prepared to welcome those efforts and to find a way to de-conflict our operations and thereby multiply military pressure on ISIL and affiliated groups," Kerry said Oct. 1, the Associated Press reported. "But we must not and will not be confused in our fight against ISIL with support for Assad."

Gen. Dunford confirmed Russian supply flights have passed through Iraq, but said it was, "not at the understanding of the Iraqi government," the newspaper reported.

"I explained to them [in Baghdad] how difficult it would be for us to continue to provide support if the Russians were invited in to conduct airstrikes,” Gen. Dunford told the committee.

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The general said Iraq's nascent air force lacks the capability to deter Moscow from violating its airspace.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi also allegedly told Gen. Dunford that Baghdad would not ally with Putin in its fight against ISIS.