VER the last several days, there has been a series of statements coming from senior Turkish and Saudi officials indicating that plans for a ground invasion of Syria are on the table. The latest comments came on Tuesday, when a Turkish official was quoted as saying that Ankara wanted a ground operation in Syria `with our international allies`. These are troubling words and bring into focus the dangerous game of brinksmanship that is being played in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has also said it is willing to commit troops for a ground assault in Syria. Till now, foreign countries both those allied to Bashar al-Assad`s government and those opposing the Syrian strongman have mostly been conducting aerial raids targeting the militant Islamic State group and others. However, if foreign troops were to arrive in Syria, under whatever pretext, without the assent of Damascus, matters would be likely to spiral further out of control. The Syrian regime has scoffed at the talk of invasion, while Iran and Russia, Mr Assad`s primary backers, have also let their displeasure be known. Turkey is already pounding Syrian Kurds, whom it refers to as `terrorists`, across the border. This has led to criticism that Ankara is more interested in crushing Kurdish ambitions in the region rather than clamping down on IS.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is conducting ongoing massive military exercises in its northern region. Numerous Muslim states are participating in these manoeuvres, including Pakistan. Some Saudi analysts have said the manoeuvres are designed to send a message to Iran. While there is no harm in counterterrorism cooperation between Islamabad and Riyadh, if the military exercises are a dress rehearsal for a Syrian invasion, then Pakistan would do well to stay away. If foreign forces do invade Syria, the bloodbath in that unfortunate country is bound to get worse. Therefore, if external actors are incapable of bringing Syria`s warring factions to the table, they should at least refrain from further complicating matters through direct military action.