Kim Sengupta, The Independent: How Saudi Arabia sending ground forces into Syria will have huge ramifications on the civil war
While the soldiers are intended to fight Isis, they may find themselves clashing with Iranian ‘volunteers’ and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters in what is a highly combustible situation
The sending of ground forces by Saudi Arabia into Syria will have immense ramifications for the country’s civil war and the wider region. The question, however, is whether it will actually take place.
The Saudi announcement comes at a time when prospects for peace have faded with the collapse of the Geneva talks and the conflict has intensified with regime forces attempting to encircle Aleppo backed by heavy Russian air strikes.
The already sour relationship between Russia and Turkey, backers respectively of the Syrian regime and rebels, has also worsened. Ankara accuses Moscow of being complicit in trying to impose a “starvation siege” on Aleppo while the Russians claim the Turks are planning to invade Syria.
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Update: Here’s What Would Happen if Saudi Arabia Deployed Troops to Syria (Paul D. Shinkman, US News and World Report)
WNU Editor: Saudi Arabia has made it very clear that they are prepared to intervene in Syria using ground troops .... Saudi Arabia Ready to Send Troops to Syria to Fight ISIS (NBC). Bahrain has also made it clear that they will join Saudi Arabia in sending ground forces into Syria .... Bahrain says ready to commit ground forces to Syria (Reuters). The US reaction to this offer of intervention has been supportive .... Defense secretary welcomes Saudi offer of ground troops in Syria (The Hill). And while Syria and Iran have voiced opposition to such a Saudi deployment .... it is the Russia reaction that concerns me .... some deputies are saying that this will mean war .... Saudi military intervention in Syria amounts to war: Russian deputy (Press TV).