Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 6 december 2019
U.S. considers sending several thousand more troops to Mideast

By MATTHEW LEE region in order to deter Iran mentary evidence to back brutal nationwide crack- nationwide statistics of the
AP Diplomatic Writer from conducting more and up the claim. But Brian down on the demonstra- number of injuries, arrests
WASHINGTON (AP) — The broader attacks. Rood pro- Hook, the U.S. special rep- tions, which started in re- or deaths from the unrest.
Pentagon is considering vided no details to back up resentative for Iran, told re- sponse to gasoline price However, Hook's numbers
sending several thousand why the additional troops porters the tally was based increases and rationing. appear to match a figure
additional troops to the are needed, but said the on a variety of reports com- "We have seen reports of put out late Wednesday
Middle East to help deter U.S. is concerned about ing out of Iran as well as in- many hundreds more killed by the Iranian exile group
Iranian aggression, amid recent intelligence indi- telligence analyses. in and around Tehran," he called the Mujahedeen-
reports of escalating vio- cations suggesting an in- Speaking at the State De- said. "And, as the truth is e-Khalq, which has paid
lence in Iran and contin- creased threat from Iran. partment, Hook said the trickling out of Iran, it ap- Trump's personal lawyer
ued meddling by Tehran in Rood was asked several U.S. had received and re- pears the regime could Rudy Giuliani for speeches
Iraq, Syria and other parts times about reports that viewed video of one spe- have murdered over 1,000 at its events in the past.
of the region. 14,000 more troops could cific incident of repression Iranian citizens since the The MeK alleged late
John Rood, defense un- be sent to the region. He re- in the city of Mahshahr in protests began." The dead Wednesday that more
dersecretary for policy, told peatedly said Esper hasn't which the Iranian Revolu- include 13- and 14-year-old than 1,000 people had
senators Thursday that De- been killed. It published a
fense Secretary Mark Esper list of 320 people it said it
"intends to make changes" had identified so far as hav-
to the number of troops de- ing been killed but did not
ployed in the region. Other provide proof.
officials said options under Iran has alleged MeK sup-
consideration could send porters and those back-
between 5,000 and 7,000 ing exiled Crown Prince
troops to the Middle East, Reza Pahlavi, the son of
but they all stressed that the country's late shah, of
there have been no final being behind the unrest
decisions yet. The officials alongside foreign powers.
spoke on condition of ano- It has not offered evidence
nymity to discuss internal to support those allega-
deliberations. tions.
The troop deliberations fol- In addition to the deaths,
low several decisions since Hook said more than 7,000
spring to beef up the U.S. protesters had been de-
presence in the Middle East tained, with many sent to
because of a series of mari- two prisons. Hook said that
time attacks and bombings Pompeo had notified Con-
in Saudi Arabia that the U.S. gress on Thursday that both
and others have blamed prisons would be hit with
on Iran. U.S. sanctions for gross hu-
President Donald Trump In this photo released by the official website of the Office of the Iranian Presidency, President man rights abuses. It was
has approved those in- Hassan Rouhani speaks in a meeting in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. Associated Press not immediately clear
creases, even though he when those designations
also routinely insists that he would occur.
is pulling U.S. troops out of made a decision yet, but tionary Guards Corps had children, he said. Hook's comments come as
the Middle East and with- didn't specifically confirm mowed down at least 100 Iran's mission to the United the U.S. steps up its "maxi-
drawing from what he calls or deny the number, so his protesters with machine- Nations did not immediate- mum pressure campaign"
"endless wars" against ex- answers appeared only to gun fire. ly respond to a request for on Iran that it began after
tremists. In October, Trump confuse senators. Shortly He said the video was one comment, and there was withdrawing from the land-
told his supporters that de- after the hearing, Penta- of tens of thousands of sub- no immediate comment mark 2015 nuclear deal last
spite the sacrificing of U.S. gon press secretary Alyssa missions the U.S. has gotten on state media in Iran. year. That campaign has
lives in Iraq and other parts Farah sent out a statement since Secretary of State There was no known pub- been highlighted by the
of the Middle East, the re- flatly denying the 14,000 Mike Pompeo appealed lic video that supported imposition of increasingly
gion is less safe and stable number, saying Esper told last month for Iranians to Hooks' allegation of a tough sanctions and an in-
today. "The single greatest the Senate committee submit evidence of atroci- massacre in Mahshahr, al- crease in rhetoric critical of
mistake our country made chairman Thursday morn- ties by the authorities in though he said the State Tehran and its leadership.
in its history," he said, "was ing that "we are not consid- putting down the protests. Department had gotten As part of the pressure cam-
going into the quicksand of ering sending 14,000 addi- In it, he said IRGC forces more than 32,000 responses paign, Hook announced
the Middle East." tional troops" to the region. can be seen opening fire to Pompeo's appeal for vid- that the U.S. is offering a re-
Asked about a possible The troop discussions came on protesters blocking a eos and other evidence us- ward of up to $15 million for
troop increase, Trump told as the Trump administration road and then surrounding ing the encrypted messag- information leading to the
reporters Thursday that, on Thursday accused Irani- those who fled to nearby ing app Telegram, which is whereabouts of a top IRGC
"We'll announce whether an security forces of killing marshlands where they popular in Iran. commander now believed
we will or not. Certainly more than 1,000 people in were sprayed with bullets. Nor has there been any to be supporting rebels
there might be a threat. crackdowns against recent "In this one incident alone widely accepted claim in Yemen. He said Abdul
And if there is a threat, it protests that have swept the regime murdered as matching Hook's death toll Reza Shahalai was respon-
will be met very strongly. the country. many as 100 Iranians and of more than 1,000. Amnes- sible for numerous attacks
But we will be announcing The estimated death toll possibly more," Hook told ty International believes at against U.S. forces in Iraq
what we may be doing — is significantly higher than reporters at the State De- least 208 people have been and had been behind a
may or may not be doing." previously estimates from partment. He did not dis- killed and that the number foiled plot to murder the
Military leaders have ar- human rights groups and play the video but said the could be higher. Iran has Saudi ambassador to the
gued that the U.S. needs to others, and the administra- actions it depicted corre- disputed that figure, but United States in a Washing-
increase its presence in the tion did not present docu- sponded to accounts of a has refused to offer any ton restaurant.q