Any ground operation in Syria, carried out without consent from Damascus, will be viewed as an ‘act of aggression,’ Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has warned. “Any ground intervention on Syrian territory without government authorization would amount to aggression that must be resisted,” Muallem said, as cited by Reuters. “Let no one think they can attack Syria or violate its sovereignty because I assure you any aggressor will return to their country in a wooden coffin,” the minister said during a press conference in Damascus.
Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia expressed eagerness to deploy its troops on the ground in Syria if the US-led coalition decided such an operation is necessary. “We believe that aerial operations are not the ideal solution and there must be a twin mix of aerial and ground operations,” Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, adviser to the Saudi defense minister, said. Bahrain’s ambassador to the UK, Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammed al-Khalifa, said his country is ready to provide its troops to act “in concert with the Saudis,” adding the United Arab Emirates was also interested in the Syrian ground operation. FULL REPORT
