In an interview on the BBC News Hour, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi addressed the latest developments in the joint U.S.-Arab military action against Islamic State positions in Iraq and Syria.
“Saudi Arabia is already at war with ISIS since 2003, when IS was still Al Qaeda, so it is the same thing – the same radicalism,” Khashoggi said, adding that Saudi Arabia “did not hesitate to join the coalition against IS” which was formed in Jeddah several weeks ago, when U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited the Kingdom to meet with GCC military and diplomatic officials.
“I think Saudi Arabia will do everything it can in Iraq and Syria to stop IS, short of sending in ground troops,” Khashoggi said.
When asked of the rumors of Saudi funding for these groups in Syria, a topic addressed by Khashoggi recently in a FocusKSA discussion including Fahad Nazer and Hardin Lang, Khashoggi said that, although some have illegally supported those groups, such action “is banned, it is a crime” and the Saudi government has been transparent about its efforts to eradicate this support.
The full audio interview can be listened to by clicking here. Jamal Khashoggi’s interview portion begins at 9 minutes, 40 seconds in.
