Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said that his country could discuss the possibility of sending special forces to Syria, stressing that the key to defeating ISIS in Syria and Iraq is removing the Assad regime.
In an interview with CNN channel on Tuesday, Jubeir said that ISIS cannot be defeated without drying up the source which sustains ISIS in Syria and Iraq. He added that his country could launch airstrikes against ISIS, which Saudi Arabia is already doing as part of the US-led coalition, and also can explore the possibility of sending special forces to Syria. But Jubeir added that things would be harder and longer if Assad stayed in power.
The Syrian Coalition has repeatedly stressed that the Assad regime is the root cause of terrorism in Syria. “ISIS derives its survival and strength from the Assad regime, therefore this terrorist group cannot be defeated without removing the Assad regime,” the Syrian Coalition stressed in a statement.
“In a stark contrast to its claims about fighting ISIS in Syria, the Russian air force continues to bomb residential areas in the rebel-held areas. In addition to targeting the Free Syrian Army, Russian air strikes have regularly hit public markets, local infrastructure and densely populated places. Only around 4% of the Russian airstrikes have targeted ISIS in Syria,” the Syrian Coalition added.
The Syrian Coalition called upon the Friends of the Syrian people to provide the Free Syrian Army with advanced weapons as it has proven its ability to defeat ISIS in many areas. “The FSA expelled ISIS from many parts of Syria in early 2014, forcing it to retreat to Syria’s east. However, ISIS’s takeover of Mosul in mid-2015 and its seizure of huge quantities of weapons and other spoils, together with stopping support for the FSA, have enabled this organization to resurge in Syria,” the Syrian Coalition said (Source: Syrian Coalition + Anadolu)