John McCain disgusted as Russia drops its first bombs on Syria in non-ISIS area

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Russia's Defense Ministry says it carried out about 20 flights over Syria today, hitting eight ISIS targets
The White House said this afternoon that it was 'too early' to say what the Russians were targeting
The airstrikes came just an hour after Russia informed the U.S. of its intentions, per an agreement crafted this week to share tactical information
See our full coverage of Russian air strikes in Syria

By Francesca Chambers, White House Correspondent For Dailymail.com and Reuters

Published: 12:40 EST, 30 September 2015 | Updated: 07:21 EST, 1 October 2015

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Russia's Defense Ministry says it carried out about 20 flights over Syria today, hitting eight ISIS targets.

The airstrikes - the first of their kind - came just an hour after Russia informed the U.S. of its intentions, per an agreement crafted this week to share tactical information pertaining to operations against ISIS in Syria.

The bombing took place in an area of Syria a U.S. official says ISIS isn't even operating in, however.

Republicans in Congress accused Moscow of using the strikes as an excuse to provide cover to Syrian dictator and Russian ally Bashar al-Assad.

'This is the ultimate disrespect,' Senate Armed Service Chairman John McCain declared during an on-stage interview at the Washington Ideas Forum.

The White House said this afternoon that it was 'too early' to say what the Russians were targeting.

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'This is the ultimate disrespect,' Senate Armed Service Chairman John McCain said of Russia's actions in Syria today

McCain said the episode is a 'testimony to the lack of concern that Russia has about America's reaction to their actions.'

'That's the only way you can interpret this.'

Of all the places ISIS is operating, Russia picked the one place where Free Syrian Army - which wants to kick Assad out, as well as ISIS - was operating pretty successfully, McCain said.

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton said in a statement that 'Putin's defense of the Butcher of Damascus has begun.'

'This is not an offensive to defeat ISIS, but a naked effort by one dictator to protect another and crush moderate Syrian opposition forces,' he argued.

Russia says it jets destroyed an Islamic State command post and an operations center in a mountainous area, Russian agencies reported. The strikes did not hit civilian infrastructure or areas nearby, the ministry said.

'A Russian official in Baghdad this morning informed U.S. embassy personnel that Russian military aircraft would begin flying anti-ISIL missions today over Syria,' State's spokesman, John Kirby, said this afternoon. 'He further requested that U.S. aircraft avoid Syrian airspace during these missions.'

The White House said on Wednesday the strikes are further proof that Moscow is 'ramping up' support for al-Assad, whom U.S. officials of both political parties say Russia is 'propping' up militarily.

'The Department of Defense is obviously reviewing the ongoing Russian military activity inside of Syria,' White House spokesman Josh Earnest said at a news briefing.

'It's too early for me to say exactly what targets they were aiming at and what targets were eventually hit.'

See more of the latest news and updates on Russia's air strikes in Syria

Russia's Defense Ministry says it carried out about 20 flights over Syria today, hitting eight ISIS targets. This photo shows smoke rising over the Homs province of Syria, where Russia dropped the bombs

There have been conflicting reports on whether the Russian attacks were aimed at supporting Assad or targeting Islamic State in that country.

'There doesn’t seem to be any operational effect on ISIL where they are flying,' an US official told ABC News, using an alternate name for the group.

President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a meeting on Monday that it was a priority to hold 'tactical, practical' conversations between their militaries to avoid conflicts.

'U.S. military officials have been in touch with their Russian counterparts to set up those conversations,' at his afternoon briefing. 'Those military-to-military talks have not occurred but I would expect they would begin in short order,' he said.

Earnest also defended the legality of U.S.-led strikes in Syria, something Russia has questioned because they are not being carried out in concert with the country's government.

The U.S. is instead working with a group of 'moderate' Syrian rebels.

The Pentagon said this week that it was taking a 'pause' on a program to train the rebels, however, after numerous failures, including the admission this month that just 54 Syrians had graduated and only four to five of them remained on the battlefield.

In light of Russia's military movements today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce urged the Department of Defense to get its act together.

'Four and a half years into this conflict, the only constant has been the Administration’s failure to come up with a plan that had any chance of defeating ISIS,' Royce said. 'At the same time, the Russians don’t appear to be holding back in their efforts to shore up the murderous Assad Regime.'

Royce said the U.S. should be pushing for 'no fly and safe zones' in Syria 'that could change the dynamics on the ground' and 'actively work with Congress to develop an effective Syria policy.'

'The costs of continued failure are far too high,' he contended.

Cotton likewise said, 'Putin has this opening because of the absence of any U.S. strategy in Syria.'

'The U.S. must reject Russia's interference and rally our partners to do the same.'