In a video released by the group’s media wing in Libya, Al Barqah, photos show Saudi Arabia’s King Salman shaking hands with U.S. President Barack Obama, with an Arabic-speaking militant criticizing Riyadh’s relationship with the U.S.-led coalition now tackling ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
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Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the force was borne out of “the Islamic world’s vigilance in fighting this disease [terrorism] which has damaged the Islamic world”, adding: “Currently, every Muslim country is fighting terrorism individually…so co-ordinating efforts is very important”.
He indicated there were still “procedures” for these countries to go through before joining, “but out of keenness to achieve this coalition as soon as possible, [the alliance of] 34 countries has been announced”.
Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry told reporters Tuesday that he had been surprised to hear news regarding his country’s inclusion in the new alliance.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan has both been asked to join the alliance but have not made a decision at the time of writing, while it is unclear if Indonesia has been asked to join yet.
This news comes after initial confusion regarding the objective and extent of this alliance, including in Pakistan itself.
According to a report in Bloomberg quoting Egyptian Investment Minister Ashraf Salman on Wednesday, the investment of SR30 billion would be through Saudi Arabia’s public and sovereign funds, with inflows beginning immediately.
In March, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates each offered US$4 billion in investment and aid.
Arab countries like Qatar and the UAE, Middle Eastern, Asian and African states including Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia and Nigeria are in coalition. “A joint operations center shall be established in the city of Riyadh to coordinate and support military operations to fight terrorism and to develop the necessary programs and mechanisms for supporting these efforts”.
“I would only point you to what the deputy crown prince himself said, which is that they’re not ruling anything in or out at this point in terms of what it could mean”, Mr Kirby said. He has now been given a new and even more ambitious task, bringing together 34 states to form a military alliance against the terrorists. The Islamic terrorism is Sunni Muslim terrorism against all other Muslim sects.
“There is a sense among many that ISIS is Saudi Arabia’s main ideology on steroids”, says Ebrahim Moosa, professor of Islamic Studies at Notre Dame University.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy close, cordial, and brotherly relations.
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But for others, the Saudi-led coalition rings hollow, as it was clear from the start that this coalition is a member-only club.
