Posted on 06/18/2021 5:11:36 PM PDT by blam
A major “realignment” of US defense priorities is resulting in a new extended drawdown of troops, aircraft, and anti-aircraft missiles from the Middle East, The Wall Street journal says in a new report, especially a prior missile battery build-up under Trump in Saudi Arabia.
“The Pentagon is pulling approximately eight Patriot antimissile batteries from countries including Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, according to officials,” the report details. “Another antimissile system known as a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or Thaad system, is being withdrawn from Saudi Arabia, and jet fighter squadrons assigned to the region are being reduced, those officials said.”
Early this month the Saudi crown prince was informed of the reduction of equipment and personnel on Saudi soil in a phone call by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin – where most of the military hardware is being pulled from. The prior Trump administration had begun sending tons of additional hardware there following the September 2019 drone and missile attack on the Saudi Aramco oil processing facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais in eastern Saudi Arabia.
Simultaneously the ongoing drawdown from Afghanistan is said to be well over half complete, also as more troops are expected to depart Iraq.
US officials told WSJ that the move reflects a Biden administration belief that Iran is no longer the dominating major threat to US security interests in the region:
A senior defense official said the equipment withdrawals amount to a return to a more traditional level of defense for the region. Under former President Donald Trump, the U.S. actively deployed defensive systems as well as troops, jet fighter squadrons and naval warships to support its maximum pressure campaign against Iran.
The hardware hasn’t deterred Iran or its proxies from destabilizing actions, officials said. Saudi Arabia also has improved its defensive capabilities, intercepting most rocket attacks on its own, they said.
For Biden’s Pentagon, China and Russia have become the top priority with Iran taking a far backseat. This is spelled out in the report as follows: “The Biden administration is sharply reducing the number of U.S. antimissile systems in the Middle East in a major realignment of its military footprint there as it focuses the armed services on challenges from China and Russia, administration officials said.”
Hawks have long argued, however, that a broader US retreat from the Middle East would cede influence to Russia and its allies, also as proliferation of Russian anti-air systems increases – with the example of Turkey and its receiving S-400s remaining a hot, contentious issue in US-Turkey relations at the moment.
Once again proving liberals and their puppet Joe Biden are complete and utter idiots and anti-American.
More action to help the Iranians. 10% for the big guy.
Turkey use to be called the sick old man of Europe...
Now we have a sick old man...
Oh good
We need access to more war in the Middle East
Party like it’s 1999
🥳 🎉
ValJar and Bronco.
While I personally would love to see every service man pulled out of the Middle East, what Biden is doing is absolutely stupid. We need to maintain the presence to counter Iran, but of course Biden is in bed with the mullahs from there, so in short, Biden is an idiot and he’s selling us out.
“China and Russia have become the top priority”.
I can see Russia, but wouldn’t it be racist to engage China? After all they’ve put a lot of money in the “America is irredeemably racist” narrative, shouldn’t they get their money’s worth?
Biden did no such thing. I doubt he knows where the "Gulf" is.
nobama, Rice, ValJar, et al, made the orders.
Good.
Get the hell out and stay the hell out.
Probably ValJar pushed this.
.
“ We need to maintain the presence to counter Iran”
Why?
A well worded post.
You mean Pres VJ the Iranian maniac and gay boy Barry .
Senile one and Dr Evil are just puppets .
Bingo
Gee. What could go wrong?
He is gonna let Iran and Russia and china do whatever they want. Will screw around with Ukraine and take money from all of them. Is actually using hunters 500k paintings to filter the money to his family.
Not to worry. Biden/Harris has already sent to the Iranians a list of 16 targets that are off limits for nuking.
/s?
Pentagon reportedly pulling jets, anti-missile guns out of Middle East
Setting up the US to lose WW III.
The Middle East is China’s now. From Afghanistan to Israel...
Well, Israel might have something to say about that.
I’m actually all for turning that mess over to them- just not at a low price.
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