US is sending more troops to the Middle East as violence rises between Israel and Hezbollah

[Dennis Donovan]

The Associated Press
BREAKING: The U.S. will send additional troops to the Middle East amid escalation between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Pentagon says.

12:05 PM · Sep 23, 2024

US is sending more troops to the Middle East as violence rises between Israel and Hezbollah

By TARA COPP and LOLITA C. BALDOR
Updated 12:24 PM EDT, September 23, 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is sending additional troops to the Middle East in response to a sharp spike in violence between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon that has raised the risk of a greater regional war, the Pentagon said Monday.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder would provide no details on how many additional forces or what they would be tasked to do. The U.S. currently has about 40,000 troops in the region.

“In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region. But for operational security reasons, I’m not going to comment on or provide specifics.”

The new deployments come after significant strikes by Israeli forces against targets inside Lebanon that have killed hundreds and as Israel is preparing to conduct further operations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday warned Lebanese civilians in a videotaped message to evacuate their homes ahead of further airstrikes. He spoke as Israeli warplanes continued to strike alleged Hezbollah targets in southern and eastern Lebanon.

The State Department is warning Americans to leave Lebanon as the risk of a regional war increases.

/snip

Link to tweet

[Faux pas]

1. ...

FUCK

[Omnipresent]

2. If Israel can only stir up trouble for the US...

Then what was all that Bullshit Bibi said about military aid to Israel protects America??

[WarGamer]

3. Why?

In case Israel needs helping blowing Lebanon to hell?

Or to defend Israel if a nearby country dares to fight back?

[AloeVera]

4. No, just an "abundance of caution".

[jalan48]

5. And right before our election. What a surprise from Bibi, the man who loves meeting with Trump and the Republicans.

[superpatriotman]

6. Does Lebanon have a right to defend itself?

Or not?

[orthoclad]

7. Ah, so we can have another USS Liberty

an attack on a United States Navy technical research ship (spy ship), USS Liberty, by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats, on 8 June 1967, during the Six-Day War.[2] The combined air and sea attack killed 34 crew members (naval officers, seamen, two marines, and one civilian NSA employee), wounded 171 crew members, and severely damaged the ship.[3] At the time, the ship was in international waters

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident

[Mosby]

8. Or maybe an overthow of the instigators of all this

1953 Iranian coup d'état

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat

Maybe it's time for the Iranians to be free again.

[maxsolomon]

9. Where are they being sent?

Additional troops in the Carrier group.

Probably additional troops at Incirlik in Turkey, maybe beef up the forces in the UAE/Qatar/Kuwait/Bahrain.

They'll be there to protect US assets.