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Abu Dhabi - A top official in the United Arab Emirates said on Sunday that his country was prepared to send ground troops to Syria to fight Islamic State militants as part of an international coalition.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash made the comments in the federal capital of Abu Dhabi, days after Saudi Arabia said it was ready to deploy ground forces if leaders of the US-led international coalition fighting the group called for it.
Gargash said it has been the Emirates' long-held position that a campaign to defeat the group "has to include ground elements," though his latest comments took on added weight in light of Riyadh's recent pledge.
"We have been frustrated at the slow pace of confronting Daesh," Gargash said in response to a question, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
Ground troops
He stressed that any deployment would be relatively small, saying that "we're not talking about thousands of troops.
"We are talking about troops on the ground that will lead the way...that will train, that will support and so forth. And I think our position remains the same and we will have to see how this progresses," he said. "Of course an American leadership in this effort is also a prerequisite."
Saudi Arabia's military spokesperson said on Thursday that the kingdom is determined to defeat the Islamic State group and could provide ground troops if coalition members agree to such a deployment when defence ministers meet in Brussels later this month.
Saudi Arabia and the Emirates are the two largest Arab economies and boast some of the region's most powerful military forces.They are close allies and are the driving force behind a Saudi-led coalition fighting on the side of Yemen's internationally recognised government against Iranian-supported Shi'ite rebels in Yemen.
