AFP, 30 Aug 2014, 2014 – Arab monarchies said Saturday they were ready to help counter advances by jihadists in Syria and Iraq, after the US called for a global coalition to fight the militants.
But the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council said it was awaiting details from Washington and a visit to the region by US Secretary of State Department John Kerry to discuss anti-jihadist cooperation.
US President Obama admitted Thursday that he did not yet have a strategy to tackle jihadists from the Islamic State, which has declared a “caliphate” in large swathes of territory it controls in Syria and Iraq.
Obama said he would dispatch Kerry to the Middle East to discuss the plan with regional allies, namely in the Sunni-dominated Gulf monarchies.
The foreign ministers of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — the six GCC states — also pledged a readiness to fight “terrorist ideology which is contrary to Islam”.
“We denounce vehemently the practices of those who use Islam as a pretext to kill and displace en masse Iraqis and Syrians,” Sabah said.
He added that the GCC supports a UN Security Council resolution earlier this month aimed at weakening the jihadists.
The mid-August resolution called “on all member states to take national measures to suppress the flow of foreign terrorist fighters”, and threatens sanctions against anyone involved in their recruitment.
Saudi King Abdullah underscored the threat posed by jihadists unless there is “rapid” action, in remarks quoted Saturday by Arab media.
“Terrorism knows no border and its danger could affect several countries outside the Middle East,” Abdullah was quoted as telling ambassadors, including the US envoy.
“If we ignore them, I am sure they will reach Europe in a month and America in another month,” he warned.