Speaking on Friday, Egypt's foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, said talks are underway with officials from “various countries” to consider a US proposal to form an Arab army and replace the American military forces in Syria.
Shoukry added: "This proposition is not only being discussed in the media, but also during discussions and deliberations among officials of various countries, to look into how these ideas could contribute to stabilizing Syria."
Reports, citing US officials, revealed last month that the Trump administration was seeking to build up an Arab military coalition to replace US troops in Syria.
It also called on its wealthy regional allies, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to increase their spending in Syria to contain Iran after the defeat of Daesh terrorists in Syria.
Reports said that Trump’s National Security Adviser John Bolton has asked Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel to know if his country would contribute to the effort.
A spokesman for the National Security Council declined to comment on Bolton’s call to Kamel, but other officials acknowledged the conversation. They also said that the Trump administration had reached out to the Persian Gulf states as well.
The Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir has also confirmed that “discussions are underway with Washington on the type of troops that should be present in eastern Syria and where these forces will come from.”
Riyadh, a staunch supporter of anti-Damascus terrorists, fears a US troop pullout may help Syria win the fight against extremist groups that are inspired by Wahhabism, a Takfiri ideology dominating the Saudi kingdom.
