ISISME Sunni states join anti-ISIS coalition
The U.S. strategy to confront and defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) received a major boost yesterday when Middle Eastern governments formally agreed to join the war coalition against the Islamist group. The details are yet to be worked out — for example, what country will make what contribution, how to conduct the war against ISIS inside Syria in a way which will strengthen the moderate opposition rather than the Assad regime — but the fact that Sunni countries in the region have agreed openly to side with the United States against fellow coreligionist is important. The Obama strategy would have to be calibrated carefully. A major element of Obama’s strategy is the strengthening of the moderate Syrian anti-Assad rebels so they can become a more effective force against ISIS. The moderate rebels’ greater military capabilities may well, at some point, be turned again against the Assad regime, and regional supporters of the moderate rebels such as Saudi Arabia would want the now-strengthened rebels to finish the job of removing Assad from power. The administration has studiously avoided becoming involved in the Syrian civil war, but the campaign against ISIS inside Syria may see the United States getting sucked into that conflict.
The U.S. strategy to confront and defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) received a major boost yesterday when Middle Eastern governments formally agreed to join the war coalition against the Islamist group. The details are yet to be worked out — for example, what country will make what contribution, how to conduct the war against ISIS inside Syria in a way which will strengthen the moderate opposition rather than the Assad regime — but the fact that Sunni countries in the region have agreed openly to side with the United States against fellow coreligionist is important.
The leaders of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Gulf Cooperation Council — an alliance of the Sunni Arab Gulf nations which includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates – pledged to “stand united” against “the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.”
In a document known as the Jeddah Communique, the signatories agreed to stop ISIS funding and influx of foreign fighters, two of the most critical steps in weakening the Islamist group. They leaders also expressed their readiness to contributing directly – “as appropriate” — to the war effort and join in the coordinated military campaign against ISIS.
The New York Times reports that many of the Gulf states have operated weapons and cash pipelines to Syrian rebels – including, in the case of Qatar, to the extremist groups — which have ended up benefitting ISIS.
Saudi Arabia has agreed to host the training of Syrian rebel groups for the U.S. military.
