Erdogan: US should choose between Turkey, Kurdish forces

[bemildred]

41. Saudi Offer to Put Troops in Syria Not Realistic, Experts Say

It was a startling announcement that prompted a flurry of urgent headlines and seemed to answer the prayers of the Obama administration and presidential candidates alike: Saudi Arabia said it would be willing to send ground troops into Syria to combat the Islamic State.

“That kind of news is very welcome,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. Added White House spokesman Josh Earnest: “We certainly welcome the announcement from our partners in Saudi Arabia that they would be prepared to ramp up their commitment militarily to this effort.”

The Saudi statement, made February 4 by its Defense Ministry spokesman, also seemed tailored to meet the strategy formulations of Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in regard to countering the Islamic militants, who have established a “caliphate” over large swaths of Iraq and Syria.

Sanders has long complained that “wealthy and powerful Muslim nations in the region can no longer sit on the sidelines and expect the United States to do their work for them.” In a major speech last November, he said the United States should create “an organization like NATO” to confront not just ISIS, but “the rise of violent extremism and…the root causes underlying [its] brutal acts.” Likewise, Clinton said victory over ISIS required Arab states and Turkey to “step up” their contributions in the fight.

http://www.newsweek.com/saudi-offer-troops-syria-not-realistic-experts-423860?piano_t=1