Arab leaders agree to form unified force
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E-mail Xinhua, March 30, 2015
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday said that the Arab League (AL) members agreed on the formation of a joint Arab military force to counter growing security threats.
"In response to the responsibility imposed by the grave challenges facing our Arab nation and threatening its resources, the Arab leaders have decided to approve the principle of forming an Arab military force," President Sisi said in his closing speech of the 26th Arab Summit held in Egypt's seaside city of Sharm el-Sheikh and attended by 20 monarchs and presidents.
Sisi added that a high-level team is to be formed and supervised by the chiefs of staff of the participant states to study all necessary aspects for the establishment of the joint military force.
The idea of forming a multinational Arab force was initiated by Sisi to face common challenges that threaten Arab national security. His initiative came after a video was circulated online in February showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Copts in Libya by affiliates of the Islamic State militant group.
The Arab foreign ministers said in the draft of their final communique that "the joint military force would immediately intervene to counter challenges that threaten safety and security of the member states, based on request of the concerned country."
According to the final declaration of the two-day Arab summit concluded on Sunday, forming such a force is an available option "to defend the Arab national security in confrontation of the ongoing challenges and the rapid developments particularly those related to groups' practices of violence and terrorism."
AL Secretary-General Nabil al-Araby said Sunday that the decision is "important and urgent" due to the ongoing unrests and threats facing the Arab world that require collective response.
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