Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States has stopped providing details of Arab participation in the coalition against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant.

Officials said Arab partners in the coalition against ISIL no longer wanted Washington to release details of their operations. They said such countries as Jordan and Saudi Arabia sought to avoid an Islamic backlash from striking ISIL positions in Iraq and Syria.

“They found it very uncomfortable being in the spotlight,” an official said.

The Defense Department has identified Arab coalition partners as Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In October, the Pentagon released details of Arab air strikes on ISIL strongholds in Iraq and Syria.

By Oct. 14, the Pentagon stopped reporting on Arab participation in U.S.-led air strikes on ISIL. At the same time, officials acknowledged that Arab fighter-jet operations were deemed ineffective, with pilots unable to find ISIL targets.

A week later, the U.S. military said it was ending reporting on the activity of other nations in the anti-ISIL coalition. Central Command did not cite any of the Arab participants, but on Oct. 22, Centcom identified Britain and France.

“Beginning with this news release, out of respect for participating nations, U.S. Central Command will defer to partner nations to publicly comment on their airstrikes against ISIL in Syria and Iraq,” Centcom said on Oct. 21.

  Gulf Arab allies ask U.S. to stop talking about their role in war on ISIL, WorldTribune.com