Kerry: Arab Countries Have Offered To Bear Costs and Assist Attack on Syria

Kerry: Arab Countries Have Offered To Bear Costs and Assist Attack On Syria (RealClearPolitics)

Answering a question about regional support for American intervention in Syria from Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Secretary of State John Kerry said that “Arab countries” have offered to pay for an American invasion of Syria, “the way we have done it previously in other places.”

SECRETARY KERRY: With respect to Arab countries offering to bear costs and assist, the answer is profoundly yes, they have. That offer is on the table. With respect to boots on the ground, profoundly no. There will be no boots on the ground. The president has said that again and again. And there is nothing in this authorization that should contemplate it. And we reiterate, no boots on the ground.

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REP. ROS-LEHTINEN: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. And, the details of the offer and the proposal on the table, what are the figures we are talking about?

KERRY: Well, we don’t know what action we are engaged in right now, but they have been quite significant. I mean, very significant. In fact, some of them have said that if the U.S. is prepared to go do the whole thing, the way we’ve done it previously in other places, they’ll carry that cost. That’s how dedicated they are to this. Obviously, that is not in the cards and nobody is talking about it, but they are talking about taking seriously getting this job done.