Page 9 - Aruba Today
P. 9
WORLD NEWS 9
Monday 22 February 2016
Saudi prince says offer of troops reflects unease over Syria
AYA BATRAWY Former director of the Saudi Arabia General Intelligence Directorate, Prince Turki Bin Faisal Al leading the ground effort.
Associated Press Saud attends a press conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. The “The world community has
ABU DHABI, United Arab prominent Saudi prince said Sunday that Muslim countries need to take the lead in fighting terror- the capability, economic,
Emirates (AP) — A promi- ism and that a recently announced Islamic counterterrorism alliance of 34 nations should have political, military and oth-
nent Saudi prince said Sun- been created sooner. erwise, to put a stop to the
day that the kingdom’s of- killing,” he said.
fer to send troops to Syria (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) “I think it is high time that
to fight extremist groups re- people said enough is
flects growing unease over enough, but simply saying
the ability of U.S.-led air- it is not going to do it. There
strikes alone to defeat the has to be concrete action
Islamic State group and on the ground to put a
end the Syrian civil war. stop to the killing.”
Prince Turki al-Faisal, speak- He added that he has not
ing at a luncheon in Abu seen any indication from
Dhabi attended by a hand- Saudi leaders that if Saudi
ful of journalists, said the troops were deployed to
kingdom does not expect Syria, they would also fight
the U.S.-led coalition bat- Syrian President Bashar
tling the IS group, of which Assad’s forces.
Saudi Arabia is a member, Riyadh is one of the main
will succeed unless there is supporters of Syrian reb-
a ground intervention. els battling to overthrow
Saudi Arabia has made Assad. Its regional rival
clear that its willingness to Iran is one of Assad’s main
send special forces to Syria backers. q
is contingent on the U.S.
Lebanese minister resigns over Hezbollah domination
BASSEM MROUE after Saudi Arabia halted concerns it could have re- clined to support Saudi resignation. “The practices
Associated Press deals worth $4 billion aimed percussions for thousands resolutions against Iran dur- of Hezbollah’s statelet and
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese at equipping and support- of Lebanese living in Gulf ing two meetings of Arab its allies are not acceptable
Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi ing Lebanese security forc- countries. and Muslim foreign minis- and staying in the govern-
resigned from the Cabinet es. The move came after Lebanon has a sectarian ters. Bassil is the president of ment means approving
Sunday, saying the militant Lebanon failed to back the divide that reflects the wid- the Christian Free Patriotic them.”
Hezbollah group domi- Sunni kingdom in its spat er regional split between Movement, a key ally of Hezbollah was the only
nates the government and with Shiite powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Hezbollah. Lebanese faction to remain
is harming Beirut’s relations Iran, the leading backer of has long been a battlefield “He (Bassil) dared to of- armed after the country’s
with Arab countries. Hezbollah. for the region’s proxy wars. fend the kingdom of Saudi 1975-1990 civil war and is
The resignation of Rifi, a The six-nation Gulf Coop- The Saudi decision came Arabia at the request of widely seen as more pow-
longtime critic of the Shiite eration Council backed after Lebanese Foreign Hezbollah,” Rifi said in a erful than the Lebanese
Hezbollah, comes two days the Saudi decision, raising Minister Gibran Bassil de- statement announcing his military.q
