US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter said yesterday that Russian troops have been behaving unprofessionally in Syria.
“They [Russia] said they came to fight against Daesh [in Syria], but they struck the opposition forces. They are behaving unprofessionally. It has to be changed,” Carter said during his visit to the Incirlik Airbase in southern Turkey near the Syrian border.
Carter said his country looks forward to increased efforts in the fight against Daesh and anticipates similar positions from other countries, explaining that the problem of Daesh is not confined to Syria and Iraq but affects other countries, including the United States.
Carter explained that defeating Daesh in Syria will put an end to the civil war there, and that this requires the establishment of a transitional period involving the Syrian opposition.
Carter said that the US hopes that Moscow will do the right thing on the Syrian issue. “But I am not sure if they will do or not,” he added.
During his visit, Carter also met pilots and military personnel at the base where nearly 400 US soldiers serve in the anti-Daesh mission.
He hailed the US soldiers for their effort sand devotion.
US President Barack Obama said on Monday that he was sending Carter to the Middle East to work with coalition partners “on securing more military contributions” in the fight against Islamic State (Daesh).