Both Russia and the United States have been attacking the Islamic State, though acting separately, with minimal coordination to avoid unintended conflict between their warplanes.
And Syrians on the receiving end are unlikely to make the distinction between British warplanes and Russian bombers sent by Assad's chief ally.
Meanwhile, the US and Russia are due to hold meetings to help avoid accidental clashes between the warplanes of the respective states, after the Turks shot down a Russian jet last month.
That could lead to risky confrontations — between patrolling warplanes, for instance — as happened during the Cold War, he said.
Thus did the first lady shake hands with one of the most formidable of the 166 female ATA pilots who, like their male colleagues, delivered warplanes around Britain, and beyond, between 1940 and 1945.
The move comes amid escalated air exercises between Nato and Russian warplanes with reports that the two blocs are routinely testing each other's borders in the Baltic and English channel.
GAZA (Reuters Israelieli warplanes bombed tunnels beneath the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Saturday, killing two Palestinians, after militants there fired several mortar shells at Israel, medical workers said.
(Reuters) MIDDLE EAST CYPRUS: GREEK-TURKISH AIR INCIDENT Mock dogfights between Greek and Turkish warplanes broke out close to Cyprus as the Greek planes were heading to the divided island for military maneuvers, the Cypriot Defense Ministry said.
Children who once knew of weaponry only in plastic form now stiffening at the sound of approaching aircraft, able to distinguish between the noise of warplanes and military helicopters, of mortar rounds and rockets.
Between Thursday and Friday, French warplanes also destroyed 20 military vehicles near Misurata belonging to Colonel Qaddafi's government.
