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Syrian FM warns Saudi Arabia against military intervention

Xinhua, February 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem warned Saudi Arabia against intervening in Syria militarily, saying those who will enter the Syrian ground without the consent of the Syrian government "will return to their countries in wooden boxes."

In a press conference held in the capital Damascus, Syria's top diplomat said "we will resist any violations to our sovereignty."

"Any ground intervention in Syria without the consent of the Syrian government is an aggression that should be countered, which will be the duty of all of the Syrian people. And the aggressors will return to their countries in wooden boxes," al-Moallem warned, while asked about the recent reports, suggesting Saudi Arabia is ready to send ground troops into Syria.

The head of the Syrian diplomacy said "the logic and the normal sense rule out any possible intervention scenario, but reviewing the crazy decisions made by Saudi Arabia in other areas suggest that nothing can be ruled out."

"I think there is something being cooked under a U.S. supervision between Turkey and Saudi Arabia," he said.

The minister said the Saudi desire to enter Syria came after their frustration with the defeats dealt against the Saudi-backed militants in key Syrian areas recently.

"After the victories of the Syrian army and its allies, the conspirators against Syria have become desperate with the failure of their tools on ground, so they decided to enter personally," he remarked.

Last Friday, a Saudi military spokesman said the kingdom is ready to send ground troops to fight the Islamic State (IS) in Syria if the U.S.-led coalition agrees.

Brigardier General Ahmed Asiri told Dubai-based TV channel Al-Arabiya the country will commit ground troops to the conflict for the first time if its coalition partners agree during an upcoming meeting in Brussels.

Saudi Arabia has taken part in the coalition's air strikes since the United States began the air assault on IS group in September 2014.

The Syrian government regards any move into the country without its consent an aggression, particularly that Syria sees any Saudi intervention as an intervention aimed not at fighting the IS, but to render support to its militants on ground. Endit