Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 17
By Anakhanum Khidayatova – Trend:
The Saudi-led Muslim anti-terrorist coalition, bringing together 34 countries, is a project that will remain on paper once it comes to a real combat operation, says Alexander Sotnichenko, associate professor at the St. Petersburg State University.
Sotnichenko, a turkologist and holder of a PhD in history, told Trend Dec. 17 that Saudi Arabia’s statement on establishing the coalition is so far a declaration of intention.
“Hardly any of the participants in this military alliance has expressed its consent to Riyadh’s conditions, under which Saudi Arabia leads and coordinates the project,” said Sotnichenko.
He added that the coalition is rather an anti-Shia alliance, aimed at becoming an alternative to Russian-Iranian-Iraqi coalition.
Previously, Saudi Arabia formed the Muslim anti-terrorist coalition, including the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Egypt, Qatar, Yemen, Turkey and others.
Meanwhile, the alliance doesn’t include Iran – one of the most influential countries in the region actively fighting the IS terrorist organization as part of a coalition that includes Russia, Syria and Iraq.
Most of the countries that have joined the Saudi-led coalition are also parties to another military coalition fighting the IS jointly with Western countries.
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