UAE to send troops to battle Daesh in Iraq

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said at a media briefing in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi that they have always been supportive of an anti-IS ground operation and were undeterred by the Foreign Minister’s shock tactics.

“We have been frustrated at the slow pace of confronting Daesh”, Gargash said in response to a question, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.

“We welcome this proposal by the Saudis to intensify their efforts by introducing some sort of ground elements into Syria”, US State Department spokesman John Kirby said at his daily briefing.

Jubeir said the idea for a possible ground operation had come from Washington, and that members of the 65-strong coalition against the Islamic State would expect the United States to lead it.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have participated in airstrikes against ISIS as part of the U.S.-led coalition.

Saudi Arabia made waves earlier this month when Riyadh announced that it was willing to send ground troops to Syria.

Morocco holds a strong strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf states.

Reacting to a potential troop deployment, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said Saturday, “Let no one think they can attack Syria or violate its sovereignty because I assure you any aggressor will return to their country in a wooden coffin”.

The UAE has troops in Yemen supporting Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi government’s attempts to push back Houthi rebels and forces loyal to the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. “Even if they send troops, they would be definitely defeated … it would be suicide”, Jafari was quoted as saying.

Saudi Arabia, which has targeted ISIL with air strikes since the campaign began in Syria in September 2014, said on Thursday it was ready to provide ground forces to defeat the armed group.

Observers in Damascus said the Saudi-backed opposition withdrew from the talks, in an apparent anger at the military progress by the Syrian army on ground.