Egypt: Sending Arab troops to Syria a possibility

Sending Arab troops to Syria is a possibility that is being discussed by officials from various countries, Egypt’s foreign minister was quoted as saying in a state newspaper today.

“In regards to the situation in Syria, Shoukry said that the idea of replacing forces with another that may be Arab is a possibility,” Al-Ahram quoted Sameh Shoukry as saying.

“This proposition is not only being discussed by the media, but also during discussions and deliberations amongst officials of states to look into how these ideas could contribute to stabilising Syria,” Al-Ahram quoted Shoukry as saying.

Read: ‘US won’t withdraw from Syria unless peace achieved’

In mid-April, US officials revealed that US President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to assemble an Arab force to replace the American military contingent in Syria and help stabilise the northeastern part of the country after the defeat of Daesh.

Trump’s security adviser John Bolton called Egypt’s acting intelligence chief Abbas Kamel to see if Cairo would contribute to the effort.