US welcomes Saudi announcement on fighting Islamic State

By
Reuters
US welcomes Saudi announcement on fighting Islamic State

WASHINGTON: The White House said on Friday it welcomed Saudi Arabia’s announcement that it was prepared to ramp up its commitment to fighting Islamic State 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 Islamic State.

"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.