Cairo--Saudi-led strikes on Yemeni rebels are set to dominate an Arab summit that will consider forming a joint military force as several countries in the region teeter on the brink of collapse.
For years Arab states had contented themselves with directing proxies in regional struggles.
But advances by jihadists in Syria, Iraq and Libya, and Shiite rebels backed by Iran in Yemen, have led to growing calls for direct intervention.
Egypt, the most vocal advocate of a joint Arab force and host of his weekend's summit, has announced its support for the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen and said it would commit ground troops if needed.
Saudi Arabia said more than 10 countries, including five Gulf monarchies, had joined the coalition to prevent the fall of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.
The Arab League states signed a military defence pact in 1950 to counter the recently created Israel, but with the spread of jihadists the bloc's chief Nabil al-Arabi has said a new type of force is needed with a new mandate.
The long-floated idea was revived by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to combat jihadists from the Islamic State group who have established a foothold in neighbouring Libya and control large parts of Iraq and Syria.
Sisi, a former army chief elected after toppling his Islamist predecessor, ordered air strikes on jihadists in Libya following the beheading of Egyptian hostages in February.
The joint force proposal has also been thrust into the spotlight by Yemen's call for regional intervention to protect Hadi from rebels who have seized the capital and advanced on his southern stronghold.
Saudi Arabia carried out air strikes against the Huthi rebels in Yemen on Wednesday, launching an operation by a regional coalition that has received a pledge of logistical and intelligence support from Washington.
Arab League chief Arabi, who has been tasked with overseeing a report on a joint military force to present to the regional leaders, told AFP that the summit's main focus should be the "terrorist" threat.
"The most important and what I hope will be the major concern of the summit is what to do about the unprecedented threats throughout the Arab word... (from) terrorist organisations," he said.
The two-day summit will start on Saturday in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.
AFP
