Free Republic

The United States is working to get the Iraqi government's permission to put Patriot missile defense systems in the country to protect U.S. forces there from possible Iranian attacks, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday. “One of the things we need to do is make sure we have permission from the host government, and that’s one of the matters we have to work on and work through,” Esper told reporters at a Pentagon press conference. “We need the permission of the Iraqis.” The U.S. military did not have Patriots deployed at al-Asad airbase in Iraq, which houses American troops, during...

BARRRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer Wednesday, February 12, 2003 ©2003 Associated Press URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/02/12/national1927EST0836.DTL (02-12) 16:27 PST WASHINGTON (AP) -- The State Department is advising nonessential U.S. diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. The advice is based on anti-American sentiment in the region, a U.S. official said Wednesday. All three countries are expected to play supporting roles in the event of a U.S. military campaign in Iraq. Family members of U.S. diplomats in Qatar and Bahrain were also advised to depart. The government will pay for their travel home as well as for departing diplomats in all three...