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WORLD NEWS 9
Tuesday 9 February 2016
Saudi offer to send troops to Syria comes with uncertainty
Saudi security forces take part in a military parade in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s offer targets. “There would be be king.
to put boots on the ground to fight Islamic State in Syria is as much about the kingdom’s growing no international coalition Prince Mohammed has
determination to flex its military might as it is about answering U.S. calls for more help from Mideast against ISIS in Syria if the announced the creation
allies. U.S. did not lead this effort.” of a Saudi-based Islamic
Saudi Arabia is far more military alliance intended
(AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy) focused on another war to fight terrorism. The bloc
even closer to home. In Ye- includes much of the Sunni
ADAM SCHRECK ists. potential Saudi troop num- men, a Saudi-led coalition Arab world, several African
ZEINA KARAM bers, deployment dates or heavily supported by the and Asian countries, as well
Associated Press Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri, the Emirates is battling Iranian- as NATO member Turkey.
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- backed Shiite rebels and a Not included are IS front
ates (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s former president’s support- lines Syria and Iraq, or Sau-
offer to send troops to fight ers who control the capital di Arabia’s chief rival, Shiite
Islamic State in Syria is as of Sanaa and other parts of powerhouse Iran.
much about the kingdom’s the impoverished country. “The Salman doctrine is
growing determination to The Yemen intervention about projecting power
flex its military might as it is highlights Saudi Arabia’s and military strength,” said
about answering U.S. calls growing assertiveness since Dubai-based geopolitical
for more help from its allies King Salman’s ascension to analyst Theodore Kara-
in the Middle East. the throne just over a year sik, who believes the Sau-
A Saudi deployment runs ago, along with the rise of dis’ offer for troops in Syria
the potentially explosive his son, Prince Mohammed could portend other mili-
risk of confrontation be- bin Salman. The 30-year- tary expeditions in the re-
tween one of the Arab old prince was named by gion. “It may be looking for
world’s most powerful mili- his father as defense min- leverage, but it’s also very
taries and forces keeping ister and second-in-line to serious,” he said.q
Syrian President Bashar
Assad in power. That’s if Saudi military spokesman,
the Saudi proposal even
gets translated into action. made clear the kingdom’s
Just putting the offer on the
table gives the Saudis an offer is contingent on the
opportunity to show lead-
ership in addressing U.S. support of the U.S.-led co-
concerns that its regional
allies aren’t doing enough alition battling the militant
to fight IS. It also puts pres-
sure on Washington to do group in Iraq and Syria.
more as Defense Secre-
tary Ash Carter and allied Saudi Arabia and the Unit-
defense ministers gather in
Brussels this week for talks ed Arab Emirates, which
on confronting the extrem-
also has offered to deploy
ground forces, are part
of the coalition but have
eased up on their contribu-
tions to the air campaign
after earlier, high-profile
sorties over Syria.
In Washington, Saudi For-
eign Minister Adel al-Ju-
beir implied Monday that
his country’s willingness to
send special forces to Syria
was contingent on the U.S.
leading the ground effort.
“The coalition will operate
the way it has operated
in the past, as an interna-
tional coalition, even when
there is a ground-force
contingent in Syria,” al-
Jubeir told reporters after
meeting U.S. Secretary of
State John Kerry.
“The U.S. is leading the
international coalition
against ISIS in Syria,” he
said, declining to discuss
