Saudi Arabia’s announcement of a coalition of predominantly Muslim nations to fight the “disease” of Islamist terrorism drew an optimistic response from Washington on Tuesday despite uncertainty over the alliance’s true focus and goals.
Although analysts say the partnership of 34 nations may be a ploy to rally Sunni Muslim powers against Riyadh’s main rival, the Shiite powerhouse of Iran, the Obama administration expressed hope that the development will focus more on bolstering the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State group.
With the administration having struggled to keep Arab powers involved in the fight against the Salafist terrorist group — also known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh — Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the Saudi announcement could result in “greater involvement in the campaign to combat ISIL by Sunni-Arab countries.”
But Mr. Carter, who made his remarks during a visit with U.S. troops in Turkey, also gave the appearance of being caught off guard by the emergence of the coalition, suggesting that the Obama administration had little to do with its creation and could have limited influence over its mission.
“We look forward to learning more about what Saudi Arabia has in mind in terms of this coalition,” he said. “But in general, at least it appears that it’s very much aligned with something that we have been urging for quite some time … [for] Saudi Arabia and other states to be more active in the campaign to defeat ISIL.
“That is what I would want to talk to my Saudi counterpart about,” the defense secretary said. “And, I hope that that’s the kind of thing that they have in mind. But I look forward to learning more.”
The Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday said 34 nations had agreed to form an “Islamic military alliance” to fight terrorism with a joint operations center based in the kingdom, but the coalition does not include Shiite-majority Iran or Iraq, and it’s not clear exactly how it would function.
Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman told a news conference in Riyadh that the coalition would develop mechanisms for working with other countries and international bodies to support counterterrorism efforts.
He also said their efforts would not be limited to countering the Islamic State.
“Currently, every Muslim country is fighting terrorism individually,” the Saudi defense minister said. “So coordinating efforts is very important.”
“Today, there are a number of countries that suffer from terrorism, for example Daesh in Syria and Iraq; terrorism in Sinai, terrorism in Yemen, terrorism in Libya, terrorism in Mali, terrorism in Nigeria, terrorism in Pakistan, terrorism in Afghanistan, and this requires a very strong effort to fight,” he said, according to CNN. “This announcement comes from the Islamic world’s vigilance in fighting this disease so it can be a partner, as a group of countries, in the fight against this disease.”
‘Best response’ to terror-Islam link
The counterterrorism coalition includes nations with large and established armies such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, as well as war-torn countries such as Libya and Yemen. African nations that have suffered militant attacks, such as Mali, Chad, Somalia and Nigeria, are also members.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Paris that members could request assistance from the coalition, which would address the requests “on a case-by-case basis.”
“There is no limit in terms of where the assistance would be provided or to whom it would be provided,” he said.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey, the only NATO member in the coalition, called it the “best response to those who are trying to associate terror and Islam.”
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