The involvement of five Arab countries in the air strikes against ISIS in Syria is a major new development for the region . It is not yet clear exactly what role they have played in what the Pentagon described as `` participation and support '' for the operation , but this is about symbolism more than military might . For the U.S. , it was vitally important to avoid this looking like another Western attack on a Middle Eastern country , and to emphasize that opposition to ISIS comes from within the Arab and Muslim worlds - where the vast majority of their victims have come from . But what 's in it for the Arab countries ? The move reflects a combination of concerns about their domestic security and their international reputation . Longer term , beyond the concerns about ISIS itself , it reflects a desire on the part of these Arab states to play a more active role in regional security -- but also illustrates the risks that can affect anyone wanting to become the policeman of the region . Firstly , these states see ISIS as a threat to their own domestic security . ISIS 's ideology does n't only condemn the `` infidel West ; '' like al Qaeda , it is also dead set against the existing regimes in the Arab states , and wants the states themselves to fall and be replaced by a caliphate . Saudi Arabia , which has confirmed its air force was involved in Tuesday 's strikes , has been the victim of al Qaeda ( AQ ) attacks before , in 2003-04 , and Jordan was bombed by an AQ affiliate led by Abu Musab al Zarqawi , an ideological precursor of ISIS . For its part , the UAE has accused the Muslim Brotherhood of plotting to overthrow it . The UAE is the most hawkish of the five states when it comes to Islamists , and U.S. officials say that UAE forces recently bombed Islamist militants in Libya , a claim dismissed by a UAE minister . If so , this would be another indication of the growing military assertiveness of this small but wealthy country . However , if it happened it proved ineffective ; the militants subsequently took Tripoli airport . Second , for some Gulf states , especially Qatar , there is a worry that some in the West actually blame them for ISIS emerging . Several Gulf countries have been arming and funding a variety of Syrian opposition groups -- as the West has too . Gulf states say they 've funded only `` moderate rebels '' , and that though this has included some Islamists , they are not ISIS . But there are allegations of Qatari funding for Jebhat al Nusra , an al Qaeda affiliate , which Qatar denies . Qatar is also being criticized harshly by Israel for supporting Hamas . For Qatar , therefore , a role in the airstrikes operation is a chance to counter the allegations that it supports terrorism . It is also a chance to make a rare display of solidarity between Qatar and UAE , who have been at odds because they take opposing approaches to Islamists in the region . Both the Qatari and UAE air forces participated in enforcing the no fly zone in Libya . But since then they 've backed different sides in Libya . Indeed the Libyan PM has alleged that Qatari planes tried to take weapons to the militants holding Tripoli airport . This evident disunity has weakened the foreign policy credibility of the Gulf cooperation council , the regional alliance of Gulf monarchies , so it has been especially important for the key Gulf players to pull together against ISIS . The Saudi interior ministry has always been concerned that funding Islamists could lead to blowback . They 've seen this before , with Afghanistan . However , it 's less clear exactly what covert intelligence operations may have been supported in their bid to topple Assad and combat Iran ; and when weapons and money go into a complex and fragmented civil war , it is not always certain where they will end up . There has certainly been private funding from the Gulf ; the U.N. has recently blacklisted several private individuals from the Gulf for funding ISIS and JaN. Several thousand Saudis have gone to fight in Syria -- though with a range of opposition groups , some of which are supported by the West . And there have been claims in the Western media that the Saudi interpretation of Islam itself promotes this kind of exclusionary ideology -- which Saudis reject strongly , saying their religion is against the shedding of innocent blood . For Riyadh , this is a reminder of the period after 9/11 , when U.S. analysts seriously questioned the value of their alliance with Saudi Arabia . Indeed , as part of its response to ISIS , Saudi Arabia convened a regional counterterrorism summit on this year 's anniversary of 9/11 . But for the Kingdom to take part in a U.S.- led coalition is something much more dramatic , not seen since 1991 , when Gulf forces joined U.S.-led coalition to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation . Saudi Arabian forces have been involved in fighting Houthi militants in Yemen in recent years , in a war almost entirely ignored by Western media . But both these conflicts were on their own borders , and had a defensive aspect . Greater military assertiveness by the Gulf countries , and Gulf cooperation with the larger armies in Egypt and Jordan , are key regional trends to watch . Gulf countries will remain keen to expand their own limited military capabilities and be less reliant on the U.S. , just in case it is not always there to guard them . Some in the Gulf , including the former emir of Qatar , have expressed frustration that the U.S. was not doing enough to end the Syrian conflict and suggesting that there should be an Arab intervention . However , until recently , they were talking about an Arab intervention against Assad . With this latest display of military force , the Syrians who sympathize with the opposition will be asking why these countries did n't have the same interest in defending them against regime attacks and chemical weapons .
Five Arab states participated in or supported airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria , the U.S. said . Jane Kinninmont says their support raises concerns about credibility and reputation . Some of the Gulf states are concerned that the West blames them for ISIS 's rise , she says . But pro - opposition states will explain why they did n't intervene against Assad , she says .