Special to WorldTribune.com

AMMAN — Arab states were not expected to fight Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, a report said.

The Al Quds Center for Political Studies asserted that Arab League members were unlikely to agree to form a military force to fight ISIL. In a report, the Amman-based center said Arab militaries were not equipped or trained to fight an insurgency force such as ISIL, which now controls large parts of Iraq and Syria.

“There is no Arab country that has the desire or sufficient enthusiasm to fight a ground war against ISIL,” the report, titled “Arab Forces to Fight ISIL,” said.

Center director Oraib Al Rantawi cited efforts by the United States to mobilize an Arab ground force to battle ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Al Rantawi, deemed close to the royal court, said Washington has not resolved such questions as the composition of an Arab force, regional bases and interoperability.

The main candidates of the Arab ground force were identified as Egypt, Jordan as well as Gulf Cooperation Council states. The report said none of these militaries was capable of conducting counter-insurgency or urban warfare operations. At the same time, Iraq has refused to allow the deploy of foreign troops.

“They do not demonstrate excellence in ground wars, including those along their borders,” the report said. “They do not have the expertise to fight this or other kinds of war.”

Al Rantawi cited Egypt and its war against Islamic rebels. He said Cairo was “barely strong enough to confront the challenge of terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula as well as on its western border.”

For its part, Jordan was not seen as a suitable launching pad for attacks in neighboring Syria. Lebanon, fighting its own war against ISIL, was also expected to resist foreign troops.

“Jordan has been leaking information about its refusal to get involved in a ground war, leaving the door open for special forces operations based on specific intelligence,” the report said.

Al Rantawi said the most realistic partner to fight ISIL was Syria. He said the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad could join the autonomous region of Kurdistan for a U.S.-sponsored military alliance.

“A long time might pass before Washington and some of its regional allies overcome the psychological barrier in dealing with the Assad regime and embark on a new military alliance to confront ISIL and terrorism,” the report said.

  Report: Arab states not buying U.S. idea that they would fight ISIL, WorldTribune.com