“They are overstretched. But in principle I think they will not hesitate to send a certain number of their fighters to fight in Syria”, Alani said, adding that this would probably include Saudi special forces.
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The continued bombardment of rebel-held towns was among the reasons given by the Saudi-backed opposition coalition for not cooperating with the United Nations peace talks.
“Any ground intervention in Syria, without the consent of the Syrian government, will be considered an aggression that should be resisted by every Syrian citizen”, he warned.
Salman did not elaborate, but his remarks seemed aimed at Iran, which Riyadh accuses of destabilizing Arab states and spreading sectarianism by backing militias in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen and fomenting unrest in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
“If there is any willingness in the coalition to go in the ground operation, we will contribute positively in that”, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri told AFP.
“I can say, from the achievements for our armed forces… that we are now on track to end the conflict”, he said.
The Saudi proposal was welcomed by the United States but it was ridiculed by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and its key ally Iran.
In a retort to al-Asiri’s comments, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said that any ground troops who enter Syria without prior permission from the government would return to their countries in a “wooden coffin”.
Turkey came under mounting pressure to open its border Saturday as tens of thousands of Syrians fleeing a government onslaught sought entry and the European Union called on Ankara to grant them refuge.
Quoting two Saudi officials, CNN reported that Morocco is committed to taking part in military operations that Saudi Arabia plans, including operations in Syria. They are both key members of the coalition fighting against Iranian-supported Shiite rebels in Yemen, and have also been involved in the US-led coalition fighting against “Islamic State” in Syria since September 2014.
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If the Saudi government embarked on such a move the entire region other than Iran but “including Saudi Arabia, will be consumed by fire”. “If they do, they will inflict a coup de grace on themselves”, he said, according to Fars news agency, a media outlet close to the Guards.
