Saudi Arabia planning 'Muslim NATO' super-army

Pakistan – which the US fears may be supplying Saudi Arabia with nukes – is already on board.

The new bloc is officially being set to fight terror groups – such as ISIS – just as Russia pulls out of the region.

But it will be seen as a threat to archenemy Iran – and a possible rival to NATO, which includes the UK and US.

Pakistani media is reporting Saudi Arabia has asked its nuclear-armed Muslim ally to lead the initiative and chalk out a framework for the grouping.

The newly-assertive monarchy – which already has the highest military spending in the world – has already established a 34-nation force to fight ISIS.

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Shareef was reportedly asked to command the alliance.

All members are Sunni Muslim countries and security experts have interpreted the alliance as a counterweight to Shia Muslim Iran – which has been their sworn enemy for almost 1,400 years.

It is unclear if the new NATO-like force – which could have a shared army or command structure – will have the same Sunni membership.

The shock development comes as Saudi Arabia blasted long-time ally America for calling the Muslim oil giant a "free rider".

US president Barak Obama slammed Saudi Arabia as a "free rider" on US foreign policy and attacked Riyadh's funding of religious intolerance last week.

Prince Turki al-Faisal – a former Saudi intelligence chief and ex-ambassador to Washington and London – hit back, saying: "No, Mr Obama – we are not 'free riders'."

The new military alliance may be a demonstration of the Kingdom attempting to step out of America's shadow.Saudi Arabia has taken a more aggressive stance on the world stage since Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – previously Minister of Defence – ascended to the Saudi throne last year.

It has waded into the civil war in Yemen and carried out bombing raids in Syria.

Analysts see both conflicts as "proxy wars" between Saudi Arabia and Iran – who have been archenemies since the death of Mohammed in 632 AD.

The North Thunder military drills – which involved 20,000 tanks, 2,500 warplanes and 450 helicopters – were seen as a demonstration of power towards its Shia neighbour.

An editorial in Arab News – seen as a mouthpiece for the Saudi regime – thundered: "Though it is the nature of all military exercises that they are never presented as aggressive – let alone provocative – they are an important demonstration of military power and determination.

"The Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen is a real shooting war in which the Kingdom and its allies have checked Iranian-backed Houthi insurgents.

"Perhaps the greatest demonstration of the strength of the Saudi military and that of its partners is the reality that they can prosecute operations in Yemen and they still have more than enough power to take part in the substantial North Thunder exercise.

"Just as the Soviet bloc used to watch NATO operations, so the enemies of the Arab world will be straining every muscle to observe North Thunder.

"It must be hoped that they learn the most crucial lesson."

(dailystar.co.uk)