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Saudi in discussion with US over troop deployment in Syria

April 18, 2018 at 1:20 pm

King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (R) shakes hands with Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres (L) during their meeting at Palace of Yamamah in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 17 April, 2018 [Saudi Kingdom Council Handout/Anadolu Agency]

Saudi Arabia is holding talks with the US over sending troops into Syria as part of a wider international coalition, the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir has said.

“We are in discussion with the US, and have been since the beginning of the Syrian crisis about sending forces into Syria,” Al-Jubeir told reporters in Riyadh during a press conference alongside UN chief Antonio Guterres.

“We made a proposal to the [previous] Obama administration that if the US were to send forces … then Saudi Arabia would consider – along with other countries – sending forces as part of this contingent.”

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir (2nd R) attends the meeting of King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (not seen) and Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres (not seen) at Palace of Yamamah in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 17 April, 2018 [Saudi Kingdom Council Handout/Anadolu Agency]

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir (2nd R) attends the meeting of King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (not seen) and Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres (not seen) at Palace of Yamamah in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 17 April, 2018 [Saudi Kingdom Council Handout/Anadolu Agency]

On the financial cost, Al-Jubeir stressed that Saudi Arabia was always a generous partner with the US, dating back to the 1991 war against Iraq to liberate Kuwait.

The announcement follows recent comments by US President Donald Trump over future American involvement in Syria. Earlier this month Trump said he wanted to “get out” of Syria, without specifying a timetable for pulling out US troops. This week he expressed his intent on assembling an Arab force that would include Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, to replace the US military presence in Syria.

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The Arab force would be charged with stabilising the north-eastern part of Syria, according to the report.

Concerns however have been raised within the US military community over Riyadh’s plan. Al Jazeera reported that the US defence establishment “is very wary” of the Saudi plan. “There’s great concern among leadership inside the [US] military about the ability of Saudi forces – just look at the war in Yemen that the US has been helping them fight with intelligence and refuelling,” said Al Jazeera reporter Patty Culhane.

“There have been humanitarian catastrophes, numbers of schools and hospitals that have been hit, raising big concerns among human rights activists.”