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UAE supports ground troops to fight IS: official

Xinhua, February 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammad Gargash said on Sunday his country supports sending ground troops as part of a U.S.-led coalition to fight the Islamic state (IS) in Iraq, UAE state news agency WAM reported.

"Our position throughout has been that a real campaign against Daesh has to include genuine political process and a ground force," Gargash said in Abu Dhabi, using the Arabic acronym for the IS.

On Thursday, the Saudi government offered for the first time to send ground troops to Syria to fight the IS.

The Saudi declaration triggered strong opposition by Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallem who warned on Saturday any foreign troops sent to Syria would return to their countries "in coffins."

Iran, a key ally of Syrian President Bashaar Al-Assad, also issued a warning, saying Saudi troops would be "wiped out" if they were deployed to war-torn Syria.

The UAE minister added that while Iraqi forces are making progress in a bid to defeat the IS, the Iraqi government in Baghdad should "increase" its efforts and cooperation in order to counter it.

The UAE's position has always been clear, and it is that countering the IS requires political action in Baghdad that includes, and does not exclude, the Sunnis, in addition to the necessary support of ground forces against the organisation, he stressed.

However, Gargash ruled out the possibility of sending large number of troops. "We are not talking about thousands of troops. We are talking of troops to lead the operation. And we are talking about troops to train." Endit