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U.S. NEWS Thursday 23 May 2019

U.S. officials: Plan may send

up to 10,000 troops to Mideast

WASHINGTON (AP) — The been taken off the boats celerated the deployment
Pentagon on Thursday will near Iran's shore, but other of an aircraft carrier strike
present plans to the White maritime threats continue. group to the Mideast and
House to send up to 10,000 Sending more troops could sent four B-52 bomber air-
more troops to the Middle also raise questions on craft to the region. The
East, in a move to beef up Capitol Hill. During back- Pentagon also decided to
defenses against potential to-back closed briefings for move a Patriot air-defense
Iranian threats, U.S. officials the House and Senate on missile battery to an undis-
said Wednesday. Tuesday, defense leaders closed country in the area.
The officials said no final de- told congressional officials The Trump administration
cision has been made yet, the U.S. doesn't want to go has evacuated nonessen-
and it's not clear if the White to war with Iran and wants tial personnel from Iraq, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, left, and Secretary
House would approve to de-escalate the situa- amid unspecified threats of State Mike Pompeo speak to members of the media after a
sending all or just some of tion. the administration said are classified briefing for members of Congress on Iran, Tuesday,
the requested forces. Offi- Acting Defense Secretary linked to Iranian-backed May 21, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
cials said the move is not in Patrick Shanahan and Sec- militias in the country.q Associated Press
response to any new threat retary of State Mike Pom-
from Iran, but is aimed at peo told lawmakers the
reinforcing security in the U.S. is seeking to deter, not
region. They said the troops provoke, Iran, even while
would be defensive forces, accusing Tehran of threat-
and the discussions include ening U.S. interests in the
additional Patriot missile Mideast. Shanahan told re-
batteries, more ships and porters, "Our biggest focus
increased efforts to monitor at this point is to prevent
Iran. Iranian miscalculation."
The officials spoke on con- Many in Congress are skep-
dition of anonymity be- tical of the administration's
cause the plans have not approach to Iran, question-
been formally announced. ing whether it is responding
Thursday morning's meet- to significant new Iranian
ing comes as tensions with threats or escalating a situ-
Iran continue to simmer, ation that could lead to
and it wasn't clear if a deci- war.
sion would be made during CNN first reported that
the session. Any move to the Pentagon will brief the
deploy more forces to the White House on a plan that
Middle East would signal a could send thousands of
shift for President Donald additional U.S. troops to the
Trump, who has repeat- Middle East.
edly emphasized the need Air Force Col. Patrick Ryder,
to reduce America's troop spokesman for the Joint
presence in the region. Chiefs of Staff, declined
U.S. officials have provided to comment, saying, "As
few details about possible a matter of long-standing
Iranian threats, but indi- policy, we are not going
cated they initially involved to discuss or speculate on
missiles loaded onto small potential or alleged future
Iranian boats. This week of- operations or plans."
ficials said the missiles have In early May, the U.S. ac-