Militants warn Arab states not to send troops
An Iraqi militant group has warned Arab states not to send troops to Iraq, saying they would meet the same fate as US soldiers, according to a video broadcast by an Arab TV channel in Cairo.
The previously unknown Islamic Anger Brigades issued the warning after Jordan, Bahrain and Yemen made conditional offers of troops to the interim Iraqi government last week.
An editor at the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya channel said the tape was apparently delivered to the satellite station’s offices in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
“We warn all Arab countries of the repercussions of sending troops to Iraq,” said one of four men in the video, reading from a statement. Arab “countries sending troops to Iraq would face the same fate as the American forces in Iraq”, he added.
Last week, Jordan’s King Abdullah said his country might become the first Arab state to send troops to Iraq if the country’s new government asks for help.
Bahrain’s king said he was ready to send a contingent from the island state’s tiny navy to guard Iraqi territorial waters, if requested.
Yemen said it would send peacekeeping forces, but only as part of a UN-controlled force and not until US-led coalition forces have left the country.
