Arab Countries Consider Reviving Plans For The Establishment Of Joint Military Forces

The preparation meeting for the OKI and Arabic Foreign Ministers meeting in Qatar. (Source: OKI)

JAKARTA - Arab countries are considering Egypt's proposal to form a joint military alliance consisting of troops and weapons donated by members of the Arab League, according to a source.

The proposal, which was first filed in 2015, was again filed in response to an Israeli attack on the Qatar capital, Doha, targeting senior Hamas leaders.

The attack sparked strong criticism from Arab countries, the United Nations and Western powers.

The force will "handling security and terrorism threats or anyone that threatens the safety and stability of the Arab world," one source told The National, as quoted September 15.

The proposal of the combined Arab forces is believed to have been discussed over the past few days between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and several Arab leaders.

The negotiations were held ahead of the emergency Arab League Summit and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OKI) in Doha on Sundays and Mondays, to formulate an integrated response to Israel's attack on Qatar.

The idea of a joint Arab troop, according to sources, is likely to be discussed on the sidelines of the summit.

The proposal to form a combined NATO-style military force was first proposed by Egypt at the 2015 Arab summit held at Sharm El Sheikh.

The proposal was adopted in principle, but there was no progress in further meetings, which were reported for dissent over the troop's command structure and headquarters.

At the time, Egypt's proposal was drawn up in response to the takeover of much of Yemen's territory by Iran-backed Houthis.

Instead, a Saudi Arabian-led coalition was formed to fight for the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

Egypt is now believed to be pushing Cairo to become the headquarters of the troops. Egypt, which has the largest army in the Middle East, also wants the position of a rotated commander among 22 members of the Arab League, and an Egyptian to serve for the first term. A civilian will serve as secretary general.

The troops will consist of naval, air force and army units, as well as have an undisclosed number of elite troops, who are trained as commands and in counterterrorism tactics, the source said.

The troops will also carry out peacekeeping missions in Arab countries.

In addition to the overall commander, the troops will have a chief of staff selected from one of the participating countries. There will also be a planning board that takes care of training, logistics and harmonization of the weapon system.

The magnitude of the contribution to these troops will vary from one country to another, depending on the size of the military and its capabilities.

The use of force in combat missions or peacekeepers will require official requests from the country concerned, as well as requiring approval from the commander and chief of staff after consulting with all member states.

The Arab League, which was founded in 1945 and headquartered in Cairo, has had joint defense agreements that bind its members for decades. Troops drawn from the Egyptian military and other Arab countries have frequently held joint war games over the past decade. Fighting units from several Arab countries fought alongside Jordanian, Syrian and Egyptian forces in the fight against Israel.

The revival of the proposal is now becoming increasingly important considering the turmoil that hit the Middle East.

With Israel enjoying strong support from the US under President Donald Trump, many parties in the Arab world now believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not stop fighting against enemies he considers to exist throughout the region, with Arab countries needing to strengthen ranks more than ever.