US senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham called Sunday for 100,000 foreign soldiers, most from Sunni regional states but also including Americans, to fight the Islamic State group in Syria.
Both McCain, the chair of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, and Graham, one of its members, sharply criticised current US strategy as insufficient and unsuccessful in defeating the jihadists.
That strategy has consisted of carrying out air strikes against IS in Iraq and Syria in support of local ground forces, which have also received weapons and training.
"I think 100,000 would be (the) total requirement," McCain told journalists in Baghdad when asked about the size of the anti-IS force he and Graham were advocating for Syria.
"That would not be hard for Egypt; it would be hard for Saudis, it would be hard for some of the smaller countries," but Turkey could also provide forces, McCain said.
Saudi Arabia is already involved in a war in Yemen, while Egypt is battling an insurgency and Turkey is more concerned with Kurdish rebels than IS.
The force would also include some 10,000 American soldiers "providing capability the Arabs don't possess," said Graham, adding: "When's the last time an Arab army's manoeuvered?"
The two senators also called for the number of American forces in Iraq to be increased to around 10,000.
That figure would include special forces to conduct "more of the raids you saw not long ago," Graham said.
American special forces accompanied Kurdish troops on an operation in Iraq last month during which one US soldier was killed.
"This is different than the last two wars," said Graham, referring to the 14-year war in Afghanistan and the nearly nine-year conflict in Iraq, during which the group that became IS was founded.
"This time (it would) be a large regional army with a small Western component. The last two wars have been large Western components with a very small regional force," he said.
But even if this force were formed and defeated IS, it would then have to occupy part of Syria, spelling another potentially lengthy deployment of American ground troops in the Middle East.
"In my construct, it'd be an international holding force, Sunni Arabs would be holding that part of Syria where they're welcomed," after it was cleared of IS, Graham said.
But "the bottom line is, the whole international community would have to be part of holding," he said.
Last-minute snag in Lebanon troops exchange with jihadists
Beirut (AFP) Nov 29, 2015 –
A last-minute snag on Sunday held up the release of Lebanese security forces detained for more than a year by the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, a security source told AFP.
"Obstacles came up at the last minute, delaying the releases after Al-Nusra Front came up with new conditions," the source said, on condition of anonymity.
The jihadists in August 2014 briefly seized control of the town of Arsal on the Syrian border and kidnapped dozens of Lebanese police and soldiers as they withdrew.
Four of the hostages have since been executed, leaving 16 alive in the hands of Al-Nusra Front and nine held by the Islamic State jihadist group.
According to security sources, a deal was reached with Al-Nusra for the release of the 16 in exchange for family members of jailed jihadists, including Saja al-Dulaimi, ex-wife of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and Ola al-Okaili, wife of Abu Ali al-Chichani, a Nusra commander who joined IS.
Lebanese authorities announced the arrests of the two women in December 2014.
But Al-Nusra has added names to the original list of detainees they want released in exchange for the 16 Lebanese soldiers, the security source said.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam called off a visit Monday to Paris, where he was to have taken part in an international conference on climate change, "to follow up" on the affair.
At least 18 civilians killed in Syria air strikes: monitor
Beirut (AFP) Nov 29, 2015 –
At least 18 civilians were killed and 40 wounded in "probably Russian" air strikes on a rebel-held town in northwestern Syria on Sunday, a monitoring group said.
The strikes hit the Idlib province town of Ariha, which is controlled by the Army of Conquest, a rebel alliance of mainly Islamist groups, including Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Several areas of the town were hit and rescue operations are under way with several critically wounded, the Britain-based group said.
The Army of Conquest alliance seized Ariha in May after heavy fighting with regime forces.
A longtime ally of Damascus, Moscow escalated its support to President Bashar al-Assad on September 30 with an air campaign aimed at bolstering regime positions and backing ground operations by Syrian government troops.
Moscow says it targets the Islamic State group and other "terrorists", but critics accuse it of targeting moderate and Islamist rebel fighters more than IS.
Syria's neighbours have charged that Russian planes have strayed into their airspace on multiple occasions during the campaign.
Russia carried out heavy raids in northern Syria this week after Turkey downed one of its jets in the area.
Turkey claims the warplane strayed into its airspace and ignored repeated warnings to change course, but Russia has insisted it did not cross the border.
The incident has led to a sharp deterioration of relations between Ankara and its largest energy supplier.
The pilot of the Russian plane was shot dead by rebels as he parachuted down after ejecting, but his navigator was rescued by Russian and Syrian special forces.
The pilot's body is to be handed over to a Russian representative after being retrieved from Syria, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Sunday.
A Russian warplane recently entered Israeli-controlled airspace from Syria but the intrusion was resolved without incident, Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said on Sunday.
In early November, apparent Russian air strikes killed at least 11 civilians in two towns in Idlib province, the Observatory said.
More than 250,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011.
