Carter Says UAE Will Put Special Forces in Syria

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says a key Persian Gulf ally has agreed to send special forces soldiers to Syria to assist in the development of local Sunni Arab fighters

German special forces soldiers exercise an evacuation of a prisoner during the "Swift Response" airborne training exercise in Hohenfels, southern Germany, on Aug. 26, 2015. Philipp Guelland/AFP/Getty Images

BRUSSELS—U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says a key Persian Gulf ally has agreed to send special forces soldiers to Syria to assist in the development of local Sunni Arab fighters focused on recapturing Raqqa, the ISIS group’s capital.

Carter made the comment after meeting Friday at his Brussels hotel with his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates.

Carter declined to say how many Emirati special forces would go to Syria. He said they would be part of an effort led by the United States and bolstered by Saudi special forces to train and enable local Arab fighters who are motivated to recapture Raqqa.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter gestures during a news conference at the Pentagon on Dec. 3, 2015, where he announced that he has ordered the military to open all combat jobs to women, and is giving the armed services until Jan. 1 to submit plans to make the historic change. AP Photo/Cliff Owen