Kabul: The US has begun surveillance flights over Syria after President Barack Obama gave the green signal, US officials said. However, the White House said on Tuesday that it does not intend to coordinate with the government of President Bashar al-Assad on targeting Islamic State militants on Syrian territory.
While Mr Obama has not approved military action inside Syria, additional intelligence on the militants would likely be necessary before he could take that step. Pentagon officials have been drafting potential options for the president, including air strikes. One official said the administration has a need for reliable intelligence from Syria and called the surveillance flights an important avenue for obtaining data.
Two officials said on Monday that Mr Obama had approved the flights, while another said on Tuesday that they had begun. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in Kabul, on Tuesday that the US wants more clarity on the militants in Syria, but declined to comment on the surveillance flights.
“Clearly the picture we have of ISIS (sic) on the Iraqi side is a more refined picture,” said Mr Dempsey. He also said the US has been meeting with allies in the region to help develop a better understanding of the Islamic State threat.
