Gen. Keane: Russia's Threat About Targeting US Jet
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An armed Russian fighter jet buzzed a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft in the Baltic Sea on Monday, according to U.S. officials.
The incident comes a day after a U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down a Syrian warplane that had dropped bombs on fighters aligned with the U.S. in its efforts to defeat ISIS in Syria.
Russia condemned the attack as “military aggression” and said it would begin to treat any U.S.-led coalition jet flying west of the Euphrates River in Syria as a potential target.
On "America's Newsroom" today, Gen. Jack Keane said the Russians may talk tough, but they will not shoot down a U.S. fighter jet no matter what we do.
He explained that the Syrian civil war has given Russia - which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - the opportunity to establish a permanent airbase in the Middle East, which is a significant strategic asset.
"If they shot down one of our airplanes, the United States would take down that entire airbase," Keane said. "We overwhelm the Russians in terms of combat power."
He said this threat is just "bluster" from Russia's Defense Ministry.
"They have their strategic asset," Keane said. "They got all they wanted out of this deal."