“We are talking about troops on the ground that will lead the way, that will train, that will support and so forth”, he said, adding that “US leadership on this” would be a crucial factor.
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Saudi Arabia’s declared “readiness” to send ground troops into Syria to fight the Islamic State (IS) is seen by Damascus as a frustrated Saudi move to prop up Syrian rebels in the face of the recent sweeping victories of the Syrian army, analysts say.
Spokesman of the Saudi-led operation in Yemen Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri told AFP: “If the coalition desires to launch a ground operation [in Syria], we would contribute positively to it”.
Saudi Arabia has always been accused of exporting extremist ideas throughout the world and not taking enough action against citizens who financially support IS.
The Syrian foreign minister has warned that any foreign troops who enter Syria without consent would “return home in wooden coffins”.
Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem also told a news conference a ceasefire in the Syria conflict would be virtually impossible while rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad’s government were able to pass freely across the borders with Turkey and Jordan.
Saudi Arabia sent its warplanes and troops to the neighbouring country to fight against the Shia rebels from the Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis.
The deployment of Saudi forces in Syria is under discussion, Al-Jubeir said after holding talks with Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday.
He noted that a follow up meeting with his Saudi counterpart will take place in Munich, Germany, on Thursday, at an worldwide meeting proposed by Moscow. Saudi Arabia is a Sunni nation whose extreme interpretation of Islam, Wahhabism, has inspired groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
Russia, another key Assad ally, accused Turkey – a staunch backer of the opposition alongside Saudi Arabia and Qatar – of preparing for “an armed invasion” of Syria.
“I think that this has been our position throughout… that a real campaign against Daesh has to include ground elements”, he said, referring to the Islamic State group by its Arabic acronym.
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Saudi Arabia has offered to deploy thousands of special forces in Syria to combat ISIS, according to The Guardian.
