CNN’s Arabic division in Dubai reports Saudi Arabia is planning to invade Syria and has mobilized 150,000 troops in the kingdom.
Two sources cited by CNN say “trainees” preparing for the effort are from Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Morocco, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Turkey. Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei will also participate.
The invasion scheduled for March will be led by the Saudis and Turks and will originate in Turkey, according to CNN.
Last week the US Defense boss Ash Carter said he welcomed a Saudi offer to participate in ground operations. “That kind of news is very welcome,” he told reporters while on a visit to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
Carter will meet in Brussels this week with the Saudis. The Saudis confirmed they will also be in Brussels to discuss details of the invasion.
Last week Saudi Brig. Gen. Ahmad Asiri told the United States his country is willing to send troops into Syria. On Friday Saudi officials announced the formation of the Sunni coalition and said military exercises will be held in preparation for an invasion.
Iran mocked the Saudi plan. “They claim they will send troops (to Syria), but I don’t think they will dare do so,” Maj. Gen. Ali Jafari told reporters in Tehran, according to Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency. “They have a classic army and history tells us such armies stand no chance in fighting irregular resistance forces.”
Middle East experts believe the move by Saudi Arabia is not about defeating the Islamic State but confronting Iran.
Iranian security and intelligence services are advising and assisting Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in his fight against US and Gulf Emirate proxies. In addition to sending the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and Quds Force to fight on the ground in Syria, Lebanese Hezbollah has taken on a direct combat role. Iraqi Shi‘a brigades are also involved in the fighting.
“Saudi Arabia’s strategic goals in Syria are very different from ours. And any new introduction of foreign ground troops into Syria would be greatly complicating efforts to focus attention on ISIS as the threat,” Stephen Kinzer, a senior fellow at Brown University’s Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs, told US News & World Report. “The Saudis know what their goal is. They want to overthrow Assad. Period.”
“I would consider any introduction of foreign ground troops [into Syria] to be destabilizing. You’re pushing Saudi Arabian power closer and closer to Iran,” Kinzer added. “That kind of ground deployment would certainly undermine the already weak efforts toward peaceful resolution of this conflict.”
Last week UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura postponed Syria peace talks brokered by the internationalist organization. The State Department has blamed Russia “in part” for the failure of the talks.
The proxy forces have refused to participate in talks unless the al-Assad government stops attempting to regain territory overtaken by al-Nusra, IS and other jihadist groups.
makati1 on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 5:33 am
“Middle East experts believe the move by Saudi Arabia is not about defeating the Islamic State but confronting Iran.”
BINGO! But the KSA troops will get their ass handed to them if they actually put boots on the ground in Syria.
Davy on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 6:00 am
Looks like a coalition is lining up against Russia and Iran. Muslims include (Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Morocco, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei), Europe and the US. This should be interesting.
I doubt this will be a greater war at least initially. I see it as a division of Syria and maybe Iraq along a Sunni/Shia split. It will definitely stop Russia and Iran in wester Syria. Russia and Syria will have plenty to do supporting and rebuilding a destroyed country.
rockman on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 6:15 am
Interesting. I didn’t see anything about the KSA requesting permission from the Syrian govt to allow them to move their troops into the country. Last time the UN discussed such matter it was considered an act of war. One would hope the KSA gets permission first. I know this sound like a rather extreme possibility (this is the ME after all)but should the Assad govt declare war on the KSA for “invading” Syria it could but Saudi oil production in jeopardy. Syria’s ally, Russia, might not directly involve themselves in such a conflict but they could (perhaps already have) provide Syria with weapon systems that could do significant damage to Saudi oil production. Whatever those weapons would costs the Russians it would be a very cheap investment to at least temporarily take 10 mm bopd off the market. Even if that raised oil prices only $15/bbl it would yield an extra $4.5 BILLION per month in revenue to Russia
joe on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 6:51 am
Baathists never were especially religious. Turkey only exists because of Mustafa Kemal, a secularist. Now the US and Germany oversee’s the Jihadisation of Turkey because they believe the Jihadis hate Russia more than the West, and in another Generation Sunni Extremism will probably rule in the Bosphrus and Suez and Hormuz. Russia though, wont care. By then the North Pole will be melted. They will have full access to the world via the North Sea and Baltic and Baring Straights.
Europe will become a third world place, divided morally, confessionally, religiously, racially, nothing but a backwater, without power.
Hello on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 7:04 am
Muslim killing muslim. Is there greater joy in the world?
J-Gav on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 8:02 am
I could be wrong but it does sound like propaganda to me. The Saudis are already stretched in Yemen and I wonder what sort of central command could possibly coordinate a 15-nation military invasion in the region without making a total hash of it.
shortonoil on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 8:12 am
A good test of Russian vs Western weapons systems. The MIC must be delighted.
shortonoil on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 8:18 am
“I wonder what sort of central command could possibly coordinate a 15-nation military invasion in the region without making a total hash of it.”
The Russians and Iranians can stand back, and watch the Saudis and their allies shoot each other.
claman on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 8:58 am
And God made different opinions about his real nature, and he found that this was good.
And he made people fight about his real nature, without discovering the real truth.
In this way he differed the sheeples from the goaties and consumes the souls of the true believers.
FUCK MONOTEISM, that is the real motor in the worlds many wars and conflicts.
Lumbo on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 9:13 am
Let the games begin.
Seyed on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 9:21 am
LOL.
This title suppose to come out on April First.
Beaver on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 9:23 am
The KSA all the way. Let the Mid East enter the issues without American Bloodshed. They should REQUIRE/DRAFT all the fighting age men that run as refugees. If they do not wish to fight for their own country they will never fight for an adopted safe haven. Common sense people.
Apneaman on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 9:25 am
Hello, the greater joy is watching the WWII footage of Germany getting fire bombed. Sadly it was incomplete.
Ghazali on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 9:34 am
This is the war of all wars that will end all wars in the middle east , started by Bush and his Son.
russia really has no business in there …
I will only pray for the civilian casualties .
Sean on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 9:39 am
This article, and website, are a fucking joke, and so are you idiots with your ridiculous conspiracy theories. Not a funny one tho.. more like embarrassing that fellow humans are this fucking stupid.
Bcbookie on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 9:40 am
Man’s great downfall is due to being the only animal on this earth who can symbol. All men symbol, and that leads to their eventual downfall. There are never any winners!
paulo1 on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 9:40 am
Iranian Repub Guards will make them their girlfriends. If this spreads to the Strait or into KSA oil fields….big changes a’ comin.
claman on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 9:40 am
Beaver, KSA all the way, and you are so right.
Wahhabismem should be considered terrorism, but that is not about to happen soon.
Boat on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 9:45 am
Putin is thinking, holy shyt what did I get myself into.
ghung on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 9:49 am
Sean says; “This article, and website, are a fucking joke, and so are you idiots with your ridiculous conspiracy theories.”
Making idiotic comments about idiotiotic comments makes Sean the idiot du jour.
ghung on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 9:51 am
It occurs to me that the only ones in this mess with any real combat experience is ISIS.
Statement on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:01 am
Turks from nothern syria will shoot down another Russian plane. Once Russian retaliates Turkish planes and troops pour into Syria suppress all Russian presence and begin moving eastward towards Kurdish regions in the northeast to secure a bufferzone to the Euphrates. Saudis and Arabs from the southeast move north and west as the Saudis meet the Turks in Damascus. American need to simply fortify northeast Turkey and northeastern Europe from a Russian counter offensive..Iran will sit an watch or they can kiss their sanction money goodbye as Putin is kicked out of office.
GregT on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:05 am
“Turks from northern syria…….Iran will sit an watch or they can kiss their sanction money goodbye……”
And every major city in the western hemisphere is vaporized……………….
claman on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:13 am
And every major city in the western hemisphere is vaporized……………….
GregT, That escalated pretty quickly
George Feehly on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:18 am
With Iran being confronted, who knows what “weapons” we’ll see. Maybe we’ll find their nuclear development is a little more advanced than they let on.
GregT on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:18 am
claman,
Yes it did, and all that it took was the shooting down of another Russian plane. Who would have thunk it?
Ralph griffin on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:19 am
Bullshit, Saudis, Bullshit.
claman on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:19 am
GregT, I guess I didn’t get the irony in the first place………..sorry about that
Boat on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:22 am
Unlimited funding vrs. limited funding. Might be time for Iran and Russia to step back and step out. Will the Saudi use their Chinese bought missile systems. Then will the Chinese sell them more.
William on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:24 am
Greetings, Professor Falken.
Hello, Joshua.
Shall we play a game?
Love to. How about Global Thermonuclear War?
A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?
shams on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:34 am
Soon the terrorist Mullahs’ IRGC and Russia-led ISIS & Iran and Hezbollah’s Mercenaries of Iran will be pushed back into Iran from whence they came and the Syrian people can begin the long road to rebuilding their towns and cities, minus the terrorists using them as human shields.
shams on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:36 am
Iran is the biggest exporter and patron of terror?? Iran’s long support of Hamas and Hezbollah and houthis has led to historic conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon and yemen and Iraq. Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria directly led to the creation of ISIS and Iran’s manipulation of Maliki in Iraq destroyed Iraq country. Iran has laid a giant swath of chaos and violence stretching from Egypt to Gaza to Syria to Iraq and Yemen
shortonoil on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:36 am
If the neocons want their WW III it looks like they are going to have to get it going before their “Yes” boy vacates the White House. Its a good thing for them that they have a pack of degenerate, self serving, self centered Royals to help them along.
shams on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:38 am
killer Mullahs money had been finished for terroristic operations in the middle east region, so they gave a bribe to Obama and john Kerry, they need money, Until they spent for terroristic operations in Syria and Iraq and Bahrain and yemen ,. Mullahs try to destabilize nearly every Arab country. Terrorism is not the word to describe theocratic Regime of Iran. Mullahs like any other dictatorial regimes in
The region like Bashar Assad wants to survive, they will do anything that can help them to stay in the power including peace with his old enemies
shortonoil on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:43 am
“Iraq destroyed Iraq country.”
The Media told us that was Shock and Awe. You can’t believe anyone any more??
shams on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:43 am
the treason of Obama and kery of America due to appeasement with killer &terrorist of Mullahs will not be forget in the history .
Scott on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:44 am
This will end badly!
alex on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:44 am
Russia will carpet bomb or use tactical nukes on any army that invades Syria(especially turks). That will be Christmas for Putin!! lol
GregT on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:47 am
“If the neocons want their WW III it looks like they are going to have to get it going before their “Yes” boy vacates the White House.”
Never underestimate the absolute power of corruption. There are plenty more boys (and girls) where the last one came from.
Hsar Gay Po on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:51 am
Idont beleive very much in this operation.
The Russians should start arming the YPG woth heavy weapons like 155/175 howitzers
fixed and self propelled ,122 mm ground to ground missiles , TOW s and MANPADS and other equipment and even some T 90 tanks
and start training to man this technology.
Armenia could be sybolically used to send troops including able bodied Syrian Arminens with Armenian adivisors to the Aleppo area where they come from .
Maybe 6000/8000 would be enough , reinfoirced wit expat Greek , Assiryan
and Kurdish volunteeers to be recruites in Germany and the Netherlands to reinforce the YPG.
Arm and train PKK units in Turkey and equipp them with TOW and MANPADS to reinfiorce the Syrian side of the border but also to operate behing Turkish fron lines in a guerrilla styled war .
Russia should reinforce their SU 34 interceptor to counter Turkish Airfiorce
entering Syria .
If there is a full scale invasion Russaia should use cruise misssiles to target all Turkish airbases as well as Saudi Airbases( if the Saudis invade)
Armenian forces should build up their even if small Army on the its border with Turkey and train PKK and Armenian Kurds to start to support the PKK fighting in the Dyabakir area , Iran could send reinfiorcments like infantry and mechanized units to the Syrian front. The US should be notified only a few hours in advance to scramble its airplanes and crew outof the airbases
in question .
It is a pity Greece is weak now otherwise they would have been able to
mobilise on their Turkish border to draw more Turkish troops along their border
But Ithing we have enough means to destroy the Ottomans and the Wahabi Saudis .
Hsar Gay Po on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 10:53 am
I dont beleive very much in this operation.
The Russians should start arming the YPG woth heavy weapons like 155/175 howitzers
fixed and self propelled ,122 mm ground to ground missiles , TOW s and MANPADS and other equipment and even some T 90 tanks
and start training to man this technology.
Armenia could be sybolically used to send troops including able bodied Syrian Arminens with Armenian adivisors to the Aleppo area where they come from .
Maybe 6000/8000 would be enough , reinfoirced wit expat Greek , Assiryan
and Kurdish volunteeers to be recruites in Germany and the Netherlands to reinforce the YPG.
Arm and train PKK units in Turkey and equipp them with TOW and MANPADS to reinfiorce the Syrian side of the border but also to operate behing Turkish fron lines in a guerrilla styled war .
Russia should reinforce their SU 34 interceptor to counter Turkish Airfiorce
entering Syria .
If there is a full scale invasion Russaia should use cruise misssiles to target all Turkish airbases as well as Saudi Airbases( if the Saudis invade)
Armenian forces should build up their even if small Army on the its border with Turkey and train PKK and Armenian Kurds to start to support the PKK fighting in the Dyabakir area , Iran could send reinfiorcments like infantry and mechanized units to the Syrian front. The US should be notified only a few hours in advance to scramble its airplanes and crew outof the airbases
in question .
It is a pity Greece is weak now otherwise they would have been able to
mobilise on their Turkish border to draw more Turkish troops along their border
But Ithing we have enough means to destroy the Ottomans and the Wahabi Saudis . This only if Turkey and the Saudi coalition invades Syria of course.
Charles J Budde on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 11:01 am
This is an example of why the fake news and opinion presented as news is so damaging. Commenting on what could potentially be a ‘fake news’ posting is of course absurd, though clearly that does not slow anyone down. I would say that I will wait to see this on a reputable news source, but the fact is that there are none other than al-Jazeera. CNN, FOX, MSNBC, all have become navel gazing jibber-jabber. What if this is a true story with actual substance behind it? You will never hear it on those stations.
shortonoil on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 11:03 am
“Never underestimate the absolute power of corruption. There are plenty more boys (and girls) where the last one came from.”
Four more years and the oil industry is going to be taking on the appearance of yesterday’s train wreck. Unless The Donald, or Bernie slip in the bath tub (who could have know’d) the Empire and its hate mongers are going to be approaching relic status. Their window of opportunity to kill off half the world’s population is closing!
joe on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 11:20 am
Turkey wont want to just get the bad bits if syria occupied by Saddams ex friends now dressed up in beards and waving Korans. Russia is making sure that friends of NATO do not rule along the whole Mediterranean Sea. Russia did the same in the Ukraine and Georgia, its amazing the people in the west are so brainwashed as they cant see patterns, only incidents, then forgotten, thats why they call 9-11 an attack, instead of a consequence of previous action, blow back. God help Israel whoever wins in the middle east. They will recieve the brunt of Arab anger when its done.
Wally Ray Sparks on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 11:31 am
How many nukes will Russia use to thwart an invasion?
twocats on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 11:32 am
Chalres, CNN did cover it. This is how they phrase it:
“On Thursday, Saudi Brig. Gen. Ahmad Asiri, a military adviser to the kingdom’s defense minster, said that the Saudis are willing to send — as part of an international coalition — ground troops into Syria to fight ISIS, the terror group that has captured swaths of territory in Syria during the war there.”
which is exactly what a lot of people have already said and that you are highlighting. The saudis are “offering” to send troops. But they haven’t been invited by Syria (obviously), and I don’t think the US or Turkey have responded positively. That’s why the Iranian general mocked the offer, because it’s laughable.
Amvet on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 11:34 am
Should the Saudi hired army invade you can bet that the Saudi oil processing and shipping facilities plus the desalting plants will be the first things to burn.
Davy on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 11:37 am
I am pretty sure several countries Special Forces are already in the fight. We already have a war it is just not conventional yet.
twocats on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 11:40 am
If I had to guess, I would say public announcements like this are a way for the Saudis to pressure and embarrass the US into doing something. Like children making a scene at a store for candy.
What that something might be, who knows. I guess they could claim that ISIS forces have crossed into Turkey and are striking at Turkish forces and therefore Turkey needs to go in to defend its sovereignty.
twocats on Tue, 9th Feb 2016 11:43 am
I am pretty sure several countries Special Forces are already in the fight. We already have a war it is just not conventional yet. [davy]
wouldn’t surprise me. but they’re going up against Syrian, Hezbollah, Iran, and Russia. Special forces of (mostly non-US countries) ain’t gonna cover it.