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Arab FMs agree to form joint force

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, March 27 (KUNA) -- Secretary-General of the Arab League Dr. Nabil Al-Araby announced on Thursday night that the Arab foreign ministers reached agreement to form a joint rapid intervention force.
"The agreement will be tabled to the upcoming 26th session of the Arab Summit for final endorsement," Al-Araby said at a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry here.
"The planned force will be tasked with intervention in any Arab country that might face security threats," the League chief said at the end of the ministerial preparatory meeting for the summit.
He noted that the coming summit coincides with unprecedented security threats, including conflicts and terrorist attacks across the Arab world that aroused the concern of all Arab citizens.
"Since last September, the Arab foreign ministers have been plans for preserving the collective Arab national security; their just-ended meeting reaffirmed resolve to face up the security threats of terrorism in an all-around manner involving the military, security, ideological methods," Al-Araby revealed.
He noted that the seriously deterioration of the situations in Yemen prompted an Arab military intervention to restore the internationally-recognized legitimacy of president Abd-Rabbo Mansour Hadi and his government.
"The decision to step militarily into Yemen was based on Article 51st of the League's charter," he said, noting that "this historic decision" represents the first time to activate the Arab joint defense treaty of 1950.
He ruled out the possibility that the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthi rebels will be a nucleus for the planned joint force, saying that the coalition is only tasked with restoring legitimacy in the country.
Regarding Libya, Al-Araby said the ministerial meeting reaffirmed respect for the legitimacy of the government representing the elected House of Representatives.
The foreign ministers renewed support to the efforts of the UN special envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon to broker a negotiated political settlement to the Libyan conflict, he added.

Asked whether the Arab League is too preoccupied with the Yemeni crisis to address the Syrian one, the Secretary-General said the Syrian conflict has been on the agenda of the League since it broke out in March, 2011.
"The Arab efforts led to agreements on ceasefire, release of prisoners and a process of genuine reform but the stubborn Syrian regime undermined all these efforts," Al-Araby said.
He denied claims of the League adopting of double standards vis-أ -vis the two crises, noting that the League referred the Syrian conflict to the UN Security Council on January 22, 2012 and since then the issue has been in limbo.
On his part, the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri said the Arab foreign ministers were unanimous on the need to form the rapid intervention force as their countries face mounting security challenges.
"The situation in Yemen dominated the discussed of the ministerial meeting," he said, noting that a joint statement will be issued in support of the military operation against the Houthi rebels.
On the Palestinian question, he said it features prominently in any Arab meeting because it is a central issue for all Arab countries.
The Arab foreign ministers approved a resolution to mobilize international support to the efforts aiming to establish the independent state of Palestine and revive the peace efforts, he disclosed.
Regarding the conflict in Libya, he said the ministerial meeting expressed concern over the spread of militant groups that terrorize the Libyan people.
The meeting agreed on a draft resolution that will be tabled to the Arab Summit to reaffirm support to legitimacy in Libya and the peace efforts, and respect for the will of the Libyan people, Shukri added. (end) kt.gb