The orange man was right to remove American forces from Syria, but he’s dead wrong about sending 3,000 more American soldiers to Saudi Arabia.
A Pentagon statement on Friday said an additional two Patriot batteries are now being deployed, as well as one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, along with the two fighter squadrons and the air expeditionary wing.
U.S. military officials said Mr. Esper informed Saudi Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Muhammad bin Salman of the troop movement Friday morning.
“Saudi Arabia is a longstanding security partner in the Middle East and has asked for additional support to supplement their own defenses and defend the international rules-based order,” Mr. Esper told reporters at the Pentagon Friday afternoon. “Taken together with other deployments I have extended or authorized over the last month, this involves about 3,000 United States forces.”
The secretary said that since May the U.S. has moved about 14,000 new military personnel to the wider Persian Gulf region.
The Pentagon statement on Friday stressed that “the United States does not seek conflict with the Iranian regime.” But the statement warned that the U.S. “will retain a robust military capability in the region that is ready to respond to any crisis and will defend U.S. forces and interest in the region.”
The orange man said himself that American involvement in all these Middle East conflicts has been stupid and crazy. Yet here he is sending 3,000 soldiers to defend Saudi Arabia for some unknown reason.
What do the Saudis need American forces for any way? Can they not defend their own country?
This is so insane. If the Saudis can’t defend themselves from starving Yemeni children, they don’t deserve to exist as a country. We should not be subsidizing their military defense.
