U.S. to send additional troops to Saudi Arabia to boost defenses against Iran [View all]

[BumRushDaShow]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by NancyBlueINOklahoma (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Washington Post

The Pentagon will deploy an additional 1,800 U.S. troops to Saudi Arabia, senior defense officials announced Friday, a modest increase in the U.S. military’s presence in the Middle East meant to deter aggressive Iranian actions.

The deployments include two fighter squadrons, an air expeditionary wing headquarters unit, two Patriot missile batteries and one air-defense unit operating a system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD. The Pentagon said last month that some of those units were preparing to deploy.

The deployments come as the Pentagon wrestles with how to deter Iran while simultaneously pivoting itself for greater competition with China across the globe. A strike group led by aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been in the Middle East for months, and Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper declined to say Friday whether its deployment would be extended.

Esper, speaking Friday at the Pentagon, said that evidence recovered from recent attacks in the Persian Gulf region “prove that Tehran is responsible,” and that Iran’s bad behavior is part of a broader campaign to disrupt the global economy. “Iran’s attempts to use terror, intimidation and military force to advance its interests are inconsistent with international norms,” Esper said.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/us-to-send-additional-troops-to-saudi-arabia-to-boost-defenses-against-iran/2019/10/11/7b8c8de6-ec42-11e9-9c6d-436a0df4f31d_story.html

---

We know who butters his bread.

Original article and headline -

Pentagon to deploy nearly 2,000 troops to Saudi Arabia to boost defenses against Iran

By Washington Post Staff
Oct. 11, 2019 at 12:48 p.m. EDT

Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said the move would place new fighter jets and air defense systems in Saudi Arabia to help a key ally confront what the Trump administration has described as a heightened threat from Iran.

The deployment, which officials said would place roughly 1,800 additional troops in the Middle East, is the second troop increase related to recent attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2019/10/11/pentagon-to-deploy-nearly-2000-troops-to-saudi-arabia-to-boost-defenses-against-iran/