Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Friday 24 January 2020
U.S. general says troop surge in Middle East may not end soon

By LOLITA C. BALDOR with him to the Bataan. "I cussions with Esper about
ABOARD THE USS BATAAN do believe that they are the level of risk in the Mid-
(AP) — Over the past eight deterred right now, at least dle East.
months, the United States from state-on-state actions Esper, who has approved
has poured more than by our response. And so I the moves, is looking closely
20,000 additional troops into think that while that threat at worldwide deployments
the Middle East to counter remains, I think we're in a in a broader effort to meet
the escalating threat from period where they're cer- the needs of the national
Iran that peaked with the tainly not seeking to esca- defense strategy that iden-
recent missile attack on late anything." tified China and Russia as
American forces in Iraq. He added, however, that the key future threats. Even
Despite President Donald Iranian proxy forces, who as McKenzie was traveling
Trump's pledge to bring may strike with or without to the Bataan, Esper was in
troops home, the top U.S. direction from Iranian lead- Florida telling reporters that
commander in the Middle ers, still present a threat. He Russia and China are "mis-
East on Thursday said the noted that Iranian attacks sion number one."
most recent forces to enter against Saudi Arabia last "There's only a finite num- Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top U.S. commander for the
the region could be there fall came as a surprise. ber of dollars, a finite num- Middle East, meets with sailors and Marines on the USS Bataan
amphibious assault ship on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, in the north-
for "quite a while." "Iran is very hard to read," ber of troops, so I've got to ern Red Sea.
"You're here because I re- McKenzie said. "So I would figure out, where is the best Associated Press
quested that you come," say the fact that things place to put them? I've ar-
Marine Gen. Frank McKen- are quiet for a while does ticulated in the past that I Esper said. out Iran as a malign influ-
zie told sailors and Marines not mean that necessarily want to either return forces Trump has argued that the ence in the region, and af-
aboard the USS Bataan things are getting better." to the States to improve U.S. must get out of the ter the Iranian missile strikes,
amphibious assault ship, To help deter additional their readiness, or redeploy "endless wars" in the Middle was quick to threaten re-
his voice booming over the Iranian attacks, McKen- others" to the IndoPacific, East. But he has also singled venge. q
ship's loudspeaker. "I'm not zie asked to have the USS
sure how long you're go- Bataan Amphibious Ready
ing to stay in the theater. Group, which includes two
We'll work that out as we other ships and a Marine
go ahead. Could be quite Expeditionary Unit, divert
a while, could be less than from their original mission in
that, just don't know right Europe and go through the
now." Suez Canal into the Red
The Bataan and two other Sea. There are about 2,500
U.S. warships moved into Marines and 1,500 sailors on
the Middle East on Jan. 11. the three ships.
By Thursday, they were in That decision is the latest
the north Red Sea, roughly move since May to bolster
50 miles south of the Sinai the American presence in
Peninsula. They are the the region, including the
latest additions to Ameri- deployment of the 1st Bri-
ca's troop presence in the gade, 82nd Airborne divi-
region. Since May, their sion, to Kuwait and Iraq
numbers have grown from after the U.S. Embassy in
about 60,000 to more than Baghdad was attacked.
80,000. The U.S. also moved an air-
Those increased deploy- craft carrier into the region
ments came despite two last year. It has left and
significant hurdles: Trump's was replaced the USS Harry
persistent pledge to end S. Truman. The Pentagon
the wars and bring troops has sent additional fighter
home, and U.S. Defense jets, bomber aircraft, and
Secretary Mark Esper's in- Patriot missile batteries to
sistence that U.S. forces Middle East to provide ad-
be shifted to the Asia-Pa- ditional security for U.S.
cific as a bulwark against troops and allies and as a
threats from China. show of force to deter at-
In making its case for troops tacks by Iran.
in the Middle East, the U.S. Those moves have in-
military points to Iran's Jan. creased the U.S. troop
8 launch of as many as two strength in the region to
dozen ballistic missiles at more than 83,000, based
two Iraqi bases where U.S. on numbers from several
troops were stationed. The U.S. officials and other gov-
attack was in retaliation for ernment agencies that
a U.S. drone strike that killed track military movements.
Qassem Soleimani, Iran's Asked about the increase,
top general. McKenzie said he under-
"Iran continues to pose a stands the demand for
very real threat," McKen- troops in other parts of the
zie told reporters traveling world, and he has had dis-