Kerry Visits Saudi Arabia To Hold Talks on ISIL

KABUL: (Middle East Press) US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Saudi Arabia to hold talks with Arab leaders on how to fight ISIL amid doubts over the Obama administration’s strategy to face the insurgents wreaking havoc in Iraq and Syria.

Kerry arrived in the Red Sea port of Jeddah on Thursday for a high-level strategy meeting with representatives from Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich Persian Gulf Arab nations.

Delegates from Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Turkey will also attend the talks.

The trip is part of Washington’s efforts to form “a coalition of the willing” against ISIL.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to an American request to provide a base to train what Washington and its allies call “moderate” elements within the Syrian insurgency.

Kerry will also ask Arab leaders for support including over-flight rights and for regional television news outlets to speak out against ISIL ideology, a US official said.

In that push, Kerry dismissed the claim by the terrorist organization that it is acting in accordance with the Islamic rulings.

The United States and some of its regional allies, chief among them Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have been providing funds, trainings and arms to militant groups in Syria to fight the government there.

Last year, ISIL exploited the chaos of the Syrian clash to capture large swaths of territory there before sweeping into neighboring Iraq.

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama said the United States was prepared to expand its bombing campaign against ISIL terrorists from Iraq into Syria. “I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq.”

The United States has so far launched over 150 airstrikes in Iraq and deployed more than 1,100 troops and “advisers” to the Arab country.