Saudi Arabia has vowed that if the political process in Syria fails, beleaguered Syrian President Bashar Al Assad will be removed “by force.” In comments made to CNN, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, said that Assad was “weak” and “finished,” and that if peace talks were unsuccessful, Saudi forces would commit to removing Assad by military means.
The current round of peace talks concerning the Syrian conflict have been in planning for months. While many analysts and commentators hailed the commencement of these talks, they have repeatedly stalled. Initially, the main rebel faction refused to attend, and various other groups absenting themselves have brought about frequent delays in the process. Many commentators believe that talks are simply not going to work, owing to the sheer number of players involved in the civil war. There is also the fact that no proposed ceasefire will include the so-called Islamic State, which would mean that a ceasefire would not see any easing of conflict for those living in areas controlled by the militant group.
Saudi Arabia’s entry into the war, even as a nominal arm of the US military coalition, will certainly complicate an already bewildering situation. Iranian proxies, in the form of well trained and highly effective Shi’ite militia, have been engaged in furious conflict with both rebel forces and Islamist militants, including IS. This development cannot help but disturb Saudi Arabia, whose view of the growing influence and reach of their traditional regional rival is anything but positive.
Saudi Arabia’s open hostility to Shi’ite Iran and the Shia Alawite regime of Bashar Al Assad brings them in direct opposition to Russia. While Russia’s publicly avowed goal is to defeat Islamist extremists, it has been pointed out that the pattern of their strikes is an obvious indication of their real goal of propping up the Assad regime. The introduction of yet another set of opposite and competing interests is worrying to say the least.
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