Middle East

Intel chiefs: Saudi, UAE ground troops unlikely to help against ISIS

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates may not have the capabilities to contribute significantly to the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), two U.S. intelligence chiefs testified Tuesday.

“I do not assess that the Saudi ground forces would have ... the capacity to take this fight on,” Vincent Stewart, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“The Emiratis, very capable, acquitted themselves well in Yemen," Stewart added.  

“Whether they have the capacity to do both Yemen and something in Iraq-Syria is questionable for me,” Stewart said. “I think they’re doing extremely well in Yemen, but their capacity to do more is pretty limited.”