WASHINGTON, November 13 (Sputnik) — The Pentagon is not engaged in the intelligence dialogue activity on the Islamic State (IS) with Russia, it is possible through other agencies, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey told Sputnik Thursday.
"If this [dialogue] is happening, it may be happening with other agencies of government, but I can't speak to it," Dempsey said when asked to confirm whether or not US and Russian officials were engaged in anti-terror intelligence sharing in the war against IS.
General Dempsey did confirm that the highest levels of the Russian and US military leadership are maintaining a dialogue despite the suspension of military to military cooperation. Dempsey stated that he had a phone discussion with his counterpart, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, "not so long ago."
US Secretary of State John Kerry announced after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on October 15 that the two nations had agreed to share intelligence on Islamic State. However, following the US announcement of the cooperation, the Russian Foreign Ministry denied that Russia had entered into any such agreements.
The Islamic State is a Sunni extremist group that has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, it launched an offensive in Iraq, seizing vast areas in both countries and announcing the establishment of an Islamic caliphate on the territories under its control.
The United States and a number of its allies are currently carrying out air strikes against IS targets in both countries.
