US welcomes Saudi troops offer

WASHINGTON: The White House welcomed on Friday Saudi Arabia’s announcement that it was prepared to ramp up its commitment to fighting Daesh in Syria.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the Saudi announcement on Thursday was a response to US Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s plea for coalition partners to step up contributions to the fight against Daesh.
“So we certainly welcome the announcement from our partners in Saudi Arabia that they would be prepared to ramp up their commitment militarily to this effort,” he told reporters.
Earnest said it was not clear whether the Saudi offer would include a significant contingent of ground troops or the deployment of special operations forces.
Earlier, Carter said increased activity by other countries would make it easier for the US to accelerate its fight against Daesh.
“That kind of news is very welcome.”
Carter said he looked forward to discussing the offer of ground troops with the Saudi defense minister in Brussels next week.