McCain says US-Russia deal to avoid midair clashes in Syria ‘immoral’

US Senator John McCain has denounced the US-Russian agreement to avoid inadvertent midair clashes in Syria as “immoral,” saying the pact allows Moscow to freely bomb Washington “allies” on the ground.

“This is not only self-defeating and harmful to our national interests; it is immoral," McCain said in a statement on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Washington and Moscow signed a "memorandum of understanding" to minimize the risk of air collisions between their military aircraft over Syria.

According to a Russian defense official, the agreement suggests a potential for US-Russian cooperation against Daesh (ISIL) terrorists.

US State Department Spokesman John Kirby, however, said the deal was a narrow arrangement that "does nothing to assuage our concerns about Russian military activities in Syria."

McCain, the Arizona Republican who chairs the Armed Services Committee, said the pact amounts to a betrayal of US-trained forces in Syria. He said US pilots are required to give way to Russian warplanes while Syrian ground forces attack the militants fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad.

"These people put their trust in the United States, believing that we would make good on our promises to help them succeed. Now we are breaking those promises in our haste to give [Russian President] Vladimir Putin clearer skies from which to bomb our partners," he said.

US officials have raised concerns that Russia has directed parts of its strikes against CIA-backed militants fighting the Assad government.

Air Force Secretary Deborah James, however, told the USA TODAY that the pact was necessary to avoid accidents for US pilots.

In recent weeks, the Pentagon has cited several instances where American and Russian aircraft came too close to each other in Syrian airspace.

Russia’s Defense Ministry warned on Tuesday about the rise of various aircraft, including military cargo planes, warplanes, UAVs, and strike drones in Syrian airspace.

While Russia coordinates its flights with Syria, “the rest of the manned and unmanned military aircraft are [flying] in Syrian airspace without coordination and with turned off transponders,” spokesman Igor Konashenkov said, adding that “unfortunately, our American colleagues do not seem to grasp the seriousness of this issue.”

The ministry posted a video of an unidentified drone believed to be flying over Syria. The UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) was apparently caught on camera from the cockpit of a Russian jet.

Russia launched an air campaign in Syria against Daesh Takfiri terrorists on September 30. The US has been carrying out its own airstrikes in the country for more than a year.

Observers say while the US and its allies claim they are combating terrorist groups like ISIL, they in fact helped create and train those organizations to advance their policies in the Middle East.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk