U.S. and Russian defense officials held talks October 1 aimed at avoiding conflicts in Syria, but one top general said the United States will not share sensitive intelligence with Russia.
"I have a low level of trust in the Russians," Lieutenant General Robert Otto, an Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, said. "I would not envision a relationship where I would share some of my intelligence with them."
The two countries agreed on ways to communicate to avoid unintended conflicts in an hour-long videoconference, but U.S. officials complained that the Russians are not hitting only the Islamic State sites they said they were targeting.
Reports have been multiplying that the strikes hit moderate rebel groups supported by the West and were not concentrated in areas held by IS.
Otto added that the Russians have been dropping "dumb bombs," munitions that are not precision-guided and are more prone to go astray and kill innocent civilians.
Syrian groups accused Russia of killing 36 civilians in its first round of air strikes September 30, a claim which Russia denies.