The early focus on fulfillment of President Obama’s plan to build a coalition to defeat ISIS has been on Arab states.  As of September 11, the US is said to have the backing from at least 10 Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and four other Gulf states.  Each was represented at high level meetings with US Secretary of State, John Kerry, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  Among that group are some logical allies, as well as some strange bedfellows.

Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab countries with peace treaties with Israel, and have shown in recent months to be trustworthy allies.  Egypt played a large part in negotiations of the Israeli-Gaza ceasefire, willing to recognize security needs of Israel.  Likewise, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is governed by moderates who have fought their own battles in keeping terrorism from taking root within its borders.

In recent years, officials from Saudi Arabia and Israel have conducted covert meetings to reach strategic agreements.  Each shares a common distrust of Iran.  Israel, because of Iran’s development of nuclear weapons and their vow to “wipe Israel off the map.”  Saudi Arabia, because Iran is the mother of Shi’ite Islam while Saudi Arabia is the mother of Sunni Islam.  The two sects consider one another infidels and, thus, often declare jihad against one another.  In those secret talks, Saudi Arabia has reportedly given Israel permission to fly jets over Saudi Arabian airspace in the event Israel chooses to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Among strange bedfellows, Iraq and Lebanon are included among coalition partners.  While Iraqi leadership is Shi’ite, ISIS is Sunni.  Thus, the nation of Iraq has vested interest in participating in the coalition.  Likewise, Lebanon is a safe haven for Shi’ite Hezbollah.  Both Iraq and Lebanon have experienced US military intervention, helping to bring freedom.  However, both have ended up as terrorist hotbeds since US troops withdrew.

Qatar is another strange bedfellow.  A tiny, oil-rich country determined to set its own foreign policy, Qatar has rebelled against Saudi Arabian political control.  In addition, Qatar teamed with Turkey in attempts to broker an Israeli-Gaza ceasefire very favorable to Gaza.

Turkey, though present at the meeting in Jeddah, is conspicuously missing from the list of coalition partners.  Since Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rise to power, Turkey has shifted allegiance away from Israel and toward Islamic nations and Russia, and is a primary supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood (including Hamas).

Also of note, two of the United States’ greatest allies, Great Britain (despite ISIS beheading a British journalist on Saturday) and Germany, will not participate in coalition strikes in Syria.  Likewise, neither have committed to provide troops to the efforts in Iraq.  (Though they are considering sharing intelligence.)

At this point, the coalition looks a bit suspect to me.  The lack of European partners and the mistrust of Arab partners leaves me less than confident that President Obama’s plan will come together as effectively as necessary.  Mistrust comes, in part, because I find it difficult to put significant trust in Islamic states whose theology dictates the establishment of a worldwide caliphate.

Friends, let’s continue to be faithful to pray for world leaders.  May they be blessed with wisdom, and may those driven by the ideology of Islam be drawn to the truth of the One True God.  Ultimately, the world’s only hope is the Blessed Hope Himself…the Lord Jesus Christ!  Let’s bow before His throne on behalf of world leaders, and let’s continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.