International media reports say Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir expressed the willingness of his Kingdom to send troops to eastern Syria in areas where US-led international anti-ISIS coalition members operate.
“We have been in talks with the United States since the onset of the crisis. Concerning sending forces to Syria, we gave the Obama administration a suggestion that if the United States sends forces, then the KSA will also contemplate sending troops within that coalition alongside other countries. This is not a new idea,” said Jubeir in a joint press conference with the UN Secretary General in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Qatar must "send its military forces (to Syria), before the US president cancels US protection of Qatar, which consists of the presence of a US military base on its territory," Jubeir said on Wednesday, as cited by the ministry's media center.
Should the US withdraw some 10,000 servicemen currently stationed at Al-Udeid air base near Doha, the government "would fall there in less than a week," Jubeir argued.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported on April 16 that the Trump administration is asking Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to contribute money and troops to stabilize eastern Syria so that the United States can pull its 2,000-strong contingent out. This is reportedly in line with President Trump’s comment that “we’ll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let the other people take care of it now.”
