Arab leaders agree to form joint military force

Arab leaders agree to form joint military force

Seeking to combat threats from Iran and the Shiite rebels it is supporting, Arab leaders meeting in the resort city of Sharm El-Sheihk, Egypt, agreed in principle Sunday to forge a military alliance that will create a joint fighting force.

The decision by the Arab League signals a shift in strategy with the creation of a NATO-like military alliance that would empower Sunni countries like Eqypt and Saudi Arabia to more aggressively resist Iran, which is backing the Houthi rebels that have plunged Yemen into civil war.

The joint fighting force would consist of about 40,000 elite troops from several Sunni Arab nations, and would be backed by fighter jets and warships, officials said.

The leaders signaled their determination to bring stability to a region aflame, declaring that Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen will continue until the Shiite rebels “withdraw and surrender their weapons.”

“Yemen was on the brink of the abyss, requiring effective Arab and international moves after all means of reaching a peaceful resolution have been exhausted to end the Houthi coup and restore legitimacy,” Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby said.

The Houthis began their offensive in September, seizing the capital, Sanaa, and later holding embattled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi under house arrest. The rebels ultimately took over government in Yemen and ultimately forced Hadi to flee the country in recent days.

via NorthEast Calling http://ift.tt/19gkZr4