Posted on 10/11/2019 1:47:51 PM PDT by tkocur
Roughly 1,800 U.S. service members, as well as several dozen fighter jets and other air defense implements, will be sent to Saudi Arabia to help protect the Kingdom amid heightened tensions with Iran, the Pentagon announced Friday.
Officials said the U.S. is set to ship two F-15 squadrons, two Patriot missile batteries, one anti-missile defense system known as THADD and other planes.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said he informed Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman earlier Friday about the additional troops “to ensure and enhance the defense of Saudi Arabia.”
"Saudi Arabia is a longstanding security partner in the Middle East and has asked for additional support to supplement their own defense and defend the international rules-based order," Esper told reporters at the Pentagon.
The Pentagon’s announcement came just hours after Iranian officials said two missiles from an undetermined source hit one of its oil tankers that was traveling through the Red Sea about 60 miles off the coast of Saudi Arabia.
The explosions from the missiles damaged two storerooms aboard the oil tanker – identified as the Sibiti – and caused a brief oil leak into the Red Sea. The leak was later plugged, Iranian state television reported.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Why?! Thought we were done with this crap.
Wait, what? I thought we were getting out of these never ending wars. Is the pentagon acting on it’s own? I guess that would be par for the course.
No one over there, except Israel, is our friend or ally. No one.
Naïve question for military folks:
When they say they’re sending 1800 troops, does that include the cooks, base managers, supply people, etc?
Or does it mean that we’re sending 1800 combatants?
Also - what’s a reasonable ratio of fighters to support people?
Thanks for your insight and experience...
Sounds like its hot already.
Why? SA has the most modern fighters like the f-35 and
all out best defense systems. Are their pilots not capable?
Why are we doing this, we hoped we could start pulling
our bases out of Europe too. Costs lots of money keeping
WWII and cold war bases open decades after they are no longer needed.
If I were to follow Thomas Wictor’s logic these might be to back fill Saudi GSC troops up in Syria.....
You cannot let Iran control everything.
You have to stop them, help our allies against Iran.
Probably closer to the truth.
The same Saudis who paid for 911?
When have the Saudis ever fought along side us, unlike the Kurds????
How many Saudis flown airliners into the World Trade Center on 9/11? How many Kurds??
How did the Saudis help us route ISIS in Syria, and how many died with us doing that? How many Kurds.
Were the Saudis with us on D-Day???
Sorry Mr. President, your idea of who is and is hot true allies of ours is unrealistic.
If you want to say we shouldn’t be extending ourselves to new wars in the Middle East, then you could at least be consistent.
With all the wealth the Saudis have they can dam well defend themselves.
the real war is on the border (not the middle east)... neocons are winning.
“When they say they’re sending 1800 troops, does that include the cooks, base managers, supply people, etc?”
Yes. I assume these are with the air force planes, and if so, then practically speaking all we are doing is sending more planes.
Just think of the Great Honor of being able to fight and die for the advancement of Sunni Islam, Salafi division.
It's what every American is dying for.
The Saudis had nothing to do with 911. That is just more evil false news, to try to set us against one of the very few allies we have in the ME.
It a great strategic move by President President Trump and for the United States.
I remember these great friends charging us $125 per barrel of oil and heading OPEC gouging us at the pump for decades.
Yep, but not the same Saudi pilots, they'll be supplying new ones.
I’m questioning whether or not this was run past President prior to announcement.
Doesn’t seem in character.
Hope he cuts them off at the knees.
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