1,500 more U.S. troops headed to the Middle East

Source: Politico | May 24, 2019 | David Brown

The Pentagon Friday approved the deployment of 1,500 more troops to the Middle East as tensions continue over threats to U.S. forces by Iran or its proxies, President Donald Trump announced.

The troops will join additional forces already sent to the region, including the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, a B-52 Bomber Task Force and Patriot air defense batteries.

“We want to have protection. The Middle East, we’re going to be sending a relatively small number of troops,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “Mostly protective. Some very talented people are going to the Middle East right now. And we’ll see how — we’ll see what happens.”

In a statement, acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan said the deployments include another Patriot air defense battalion, reconnaissance aircraft, an engineering unit for force protection and a fighter aircraft squadron.

“The additional deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility is a prudent defensive measure and intended to reduce the possibility of future hostilities,” he said. “I remain committed to ensuring U.S. personnel have the force protection resources they need and deserve.

The deployments come as U.S. officials have sought to tamp down some of the rhetoric since national security adviser John Bolton announced May 5 that the initial forces were being deployed to confront Iranian threats to American interests.

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