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Tuesday
June 18, 2019
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U.S. sending more troops

to Middle East as Iran

tensions mount

By L.C. BALDOR/M. LEE Iran and calming allies wor-
Associated Press ried that transit through
WASHINGTON (AP) — The key shipping lanes could
Pentagon on Monday or- be in jeopardy. Acting
dered another 1,000 Amer- Defense Secretary Patrick
ican troops to the Middle Shanahan issued a state-
East, moving to bolster ment saying the forces are
security in a region reel- “for defensive purposes
ing from hostile attacks on to address air, naval, and
commercial ships that the ground-based threats in
U.S. has blamed on Iran. the Middle East.” The forc-
Officials said the deploy- es are part of a broader
ment includes security military package of options
forces and troops for ad- that were initially laid out to
ditional surveillance and in- U.S. leaders late last month,
telligence gathering in the totaling as much as 10,000
region. And while the num- forces, Patriot missile bat- This image released by the U.S. Department of Defense on Monday, June 17, 2019, is a view of hull
ber is small, it represents an teries, aircraft and ships. penetration/blast damage on the starboard side of the motor vessel M/T Kokuka Courageous,
escalation of U.S. military which the Navy says was sustained from a limpet mine attack while operating in the Gulf of Oman,
on June 13th.
might aimed at deterring Continued on Page 3 Associated Press