On Thursday, February 4, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter welcomed Saudi Arabia's announcement of its readiness to send ground troops to Syria. According to Reuters, Carter stated that increasing the presence of forces from other countries would help the US accelerate its fight against the Islamic State group. The Defense Secretary told reporters, 'We welcome such news.' However, he noted that he would wait to discuss Saudi Arabia's proposal for deploying ground forces to Syria with officials from that country in Brussels next week. Carter mentioned that Saudi Arabia had previously expressed its willingness to take further actions in the fight against the Islamic State. General Ahmed al-Assiri, spokesman for the Saudi Defense Forces, stated on Thursday that Riyadh is prepared to send ground troops to Syria to fight the Islamic State, contingent upon the approval of ground operations by the leaders of the anti-ISIS coalition at their upcoming meeting in Brussels. General al-Assiri, who also serves as the spokesman for the Arab coalition in Yemen, told the Associated Press and Al Arabiya that Saudi Arabia has been participating in the air operations of the US-led international coalition since September 2014 but is now ready to deploy ground troops to the country. Following the rapid advance of the Islamic State group in Iraq and the capture of vast areas of the country, a coalition led by the US was formed. This coalition has so far targeted the positions of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria with airstrikes. Saudi Arabia is part of the coalition against the Islamic State and is simultaneously supporting the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in Yemen, fighting against the Shia Houthi militants and forces loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saudi Arabia's new proposal comes as peace talks between representatives of the Syrian government and its opponents were suspended due to a lack of progress until February 25. The five-year civil war in Syria has left over 250,000 dead and millions displaced.
US Welcomes Saudi Arabia's Readiness to Deploy Ground Forces to Syria
The US has welcomed Saudi Arabia's readiness to send ground troops to Syria to combat the Islamic State, contingent on coalition approval. This development comes amid stalled peace talks in Syria and highlights the ongoing international efforts to address the conflict and the threat posed by ISIS.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The US welcomed Saudi Arabia's announcement of its readiness to send ground troops to Syria to combat ISIS, contingent on coalition approval. This development highlights the ongoing international military efforts against the group amid stalled peace talks in Syria.
- Saudi Arabia has been part of the US-led coalition against ISIS since September 2014.
- The proposal for ground troops comes as peace talks in Syria have stalled.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Syrian civil war has been ongoing since 2011, resulting in a humanitarian crisis and the rise of extremist groups like ISIS. The US and its allies have been conducting airstrikes against ISIS since 2014.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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