Saudi Arabia: Military Affirms Plan To Deploy In Syria If Needed

February 11, 2016 | 16:43 GMT

The spokesman for Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen said Riyadh's decision to send troops to Syria is final, Al Arabiya reported Feb. 11. The representative, Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Assiri, said Riyadh is ready to help the U.S.-led coalition take on the Islamic State in Syria, adding that he could only speak for Saudi Arabia in terms of sending troops, and referred questions about any future ground operation to the U.S. government. Saudi Arabia first announced Feb. 4 that Saudi troops would be ready to deploy in Syria against the Islamic State should Washington call for ground operations. Turkey would welcome a broader Sunni coalition as it tries to mitigate threats from Russia in Syria's battlespace, but an understanding between Moscow and Washington is still a prerequisite to any ground operation in northern Syria.