Why aren’t the Arab nations fighting against ISIS?

AS the West step up efforts to demolish Islamic State, the question remains — why aren’t Arab nations doing the same?

ITS brazen, brutal attacks and callous disregard for human life has made it public enemy number one, with the West vowing to do all it can to defeat Islamic State.

But while Western allies have increased their military campaigns against the terrorist group, those in neighbouring Arab nations, seemingly better-placed to weed them out, appear to have dialled down their efforts.

In recent weeks, France and the UK increased air strikes, while the US revealed it had sent in a Special Forces team to take out the insurgents.

Countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, have launched just one mission a month against IS targets, while Bahrain and Jordan have completely stopped, according to CNN.

This week, however, it appeared Arab nations were finally coming to the table after Saudi Arabia announced it had formed a military coalition of 34 Islamic countries to combat terrorism.

Saudi Defence Minister Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud said the alliance would not just confront the Islamic State, but “any terrorist group in front of us”.

A joint operations centre would be set up in the Saudi capital of Riyadh and would work with other international bodies to combat terrorism, it was also revealed.

But that’s the extent of the details.

And according to Bob Bowker, adjunct professor at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at Australian National University, that’s about all we are likely to get.

Mr Bowker is a former diplomat who served as Australia’s ambassador to Egypt (1989-92) and Jordan (2005-08).

He told news.com.au he did not believe this new coalition would have much bite.

“It’s basically an effort to demonstrate that the Saudis are concerned, to mobilise support in opposition to terrorism,” he explained. “[Saudi Arabia] are on the receiving end of terrorism as well, but seem to control it better than most.

“But [the coalition] really doesn’t amount to anything practical or of operational significance especially when the details have yet to be worked out.

“It’s simply an invitation to the countries to put up their hand and say ‘yes we would be willing in principle to support the fight against terrorism’. Well, doesn’t everyone?

“The prospect of any meaningful military activity on the strength of 34 co-operating Islamic nations is pretty remote.”

The troubled Middle East.

WHY AREN’T ARAB NATIONS DOING MORE TO STOP ISLAMIC STATE?

That’s not an easy question to answer.

But Mr Bowker said it basically comes down to Iran.

“The reality is that Islamic State is seen in the region as less of a problem than the prospect of an ascendant Iran,” he explained.

“The primary underlying concern as far as the future of the regional security situation is that they (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, UAE) regard Iran as being intent upon hegemony over the Persian Gulf region and maintaining its primacy in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

“Now Islamic State, while it does pose a threat to each of the Arab states surrounding Iraq and Syria, is nevertheless seen as a longer term problem and one which can be contained within those countries, in Syria and Iraq, where it currently operates, provided that forces that are opposed to Islamic State and also to the Syrian regime are viable.

“The Saudis and Emiratis are providing material assistance to the jihadist elements within Syria in pursuit of a desire to oust the Syrian regime.

“Their concern about IS, while a real concern, will continue to take a back seat until such time they have reduced the threat of Iran by removing it as a principle player in the region, and by removing the Assad regime in Syria, providing that Islamic State forces do not overthrow the government in Baghdad.

“They are prepared to see the Americans carry the principle burden there.”

Mr Bowker, who has written several books on the tensions in Egypt and the Middle East, also said Saudi Arabia, Iran and other surrounding Arab nations were more concerned about the situation in Yemen.

He explained that Yemen, which is in the middle of a civil war, geographically poses a greater threat than Syria.

Earlier this year Houthi rebel forces tried to overthrow the Yemeni government but failed to take control of the capital Aden after Saudi Arabia launched massive air strikes (with the help of the US) to prevent them from taking over.

Mr Bowker said the Houthi rebels, which are Shia Islam like Iran, are seen as a threat to the Sunni Saudi Arabians.

“The Yemen situation is a slightly different picture,” Mr Bowker said. “The Saudis and the Emiratis are doing the heavy lifting there because again they see the Iranians as the primary beneficiaries of the Houthi uprising in Yemen. So, they are basically conducting this horrendous bombing campaign which basically destroyed the infrastructure of Yemen, rather than see the Houthis establish ongoing control over all over Yemen.

“The Houthi element also does provide a more immediate threat to Saudi interests, because of the border with Yemen, than Islamic State at the moment which does not have a significant presence along either the Saudi or Jordanian border.”

President Barack Obama said this week the US military and allied forces were hitting the Islamic State group harder than ever. Picture: AP/Evan Vucci.

SURELY THEY ARE CAPABLE OF TAKING OUT ISLAMIC STATE?

Former Australian spy Warren Reed said the Arab nations could do it.

He told news.com.au there were many conflicting reasons why these countries were not doing “very much”.

“There are countries in the area that either don’t want to get involved in it because they don’t want to lose any blood or treasure and they usually think the Americans and allies will come in and do the dirty work for them,” he explained. “And there are certain countries that would like to see IS thrive as long as they don’t come and take their territory.

“Some are funding IS so it’s a real dog’s breakfast. It’s a real can of worms.

“You can’t just look at it and say this country is backing that one, this country is backing that one and that we have two teams. It’s not like that.”

Mr Reed, a senior security analyst who was trained by MI6 and served for 10 years as a spy with the Australian Secret Intelligence Service in the Middle East and Asia, told news.com.au while these Arab nations may not be launching major military offensives in Syria and Iraq, they do have their intelligence services firmly on the ground.

“Iran and Saudi Arabia underpin everything going on,” Mr Reed said.

“If you look at those two major countries you firstly have got to acknowledge the intelligence services are widely spread in the region, so whether they are seen to be involved or not in certain activities, they are there in the background.

“Now the Iranians are almost certainly much better placed [to take out Islamic State]. It’s not only have all sorts of military groups, but also militias that are connected to all sorts of forces, particularly in the area we are talking about.

“I think the Iranians will probably stick to the current level of activity at the moment.

“Their intelligence resources and military people placed under cover in that region would be outstanding and probably quite frightening if we knew the true extent of it.

“I think ultimately, Saudi Arabia, without help from outside, isn’t going to win out over the Iranians. It will carve out whatever area of infill or territory it thinks it’s entitled to and it will fight for it.

“Not that [Saudi Arabia] are sitting back doing nothing. It has a finger in the pie all across the region. In some areas it is quite overt. In Iraq it is co-operating with the Americans but most of its activity we don’t even see.”

CAN ISLAMIC STATE BE DEFEATED?

Mr Bowker said without troops on the ground the prospect was unlikely.

“Every western contributor to the campaign in Syria in Iraq knows air power will not defeat IS,” he said. “It will only be defeated by troops on the ground. And therefore if there are to be forces deployed on the ground you would have to identify where they are going to come from that would be politically, culturally and religiously acceptable.

“And the short answer to that is that probably there are none but if there were to be any they would be Arab and so if there are elements that can come together from Muslim countries to confront Islamic State or form part of peace keeping arrangement after the defeat of IS then that is something we would all welcome.

“But it’s not going to happen. The Arabs are not going to put boots on the ground in Syria.”