President Biden intends to reduce the number of US troops in the Middle East by several hundred. This includes removing antimissile batteries, and personnel assigned to them, as well as reducing the number of troops assigned to jets in the area. The largest number are to be removed from Saudi Arabia.
Officials say that the plan is to redeploy the troops away from the region and to operations focused on Russia and China. These sorts of pivots have been reportedly planned by the Pentagon for multiple administrations.
In the past, Asia Pivots and other such deployments have been hyped up but usually delayed by new Middle East operations. The US still found excuses to escalate presence around the Russian border, of course, but never cut troops in the Middle East to cover for that.
That officials are emphasizing this at all when in this case it only amounts to “several hundred” troops is unusual, as new deployments near either China or Russia of those sizes would barely register in the news, and cuts that will only be heard of again if the US changes its mind and keeps them in place.
I can assure you that if Trump were making this teenie weenie troop re-deployment, the mainstream propaganda system, I mean the mainstream great free press would be throwing a fit
Only if Trump were bringing them home. Same with Biden.
Well, Trump isn’t the president anymore, so it really doesn’t matter. The new guy is the one keeping the foreign policy on the same track it’s been on since Truman and before.
It’s all going to end bad & bloody for America for God cannot lie.
Ask God to pretty please stop the wars then, if he’s omnipotent and ubiquitous.
Why ask him?, America and mankind are the ones that start them… proclaiming themselves to be geniuses every single time from Iraq to Libya (Obama’s “smart war”) to syria God has no interest in human matters he’s going to let y’all fall since everyone refuses to live humble.. why expect anything else from a Lord of a universe?… Put yourself in his place… Would you care?.
The concept of “Middle East” has become ridiculous. For openers you cannot include any country which borders on the Mediterranean Sea because these have long been known as “The Levant”. Then where does the “Far East” begin? At India? At Pakistan? At Iran?
Our withdrawal from Afghanistan creates serious problems for Pakistan. You may not believe this but Pakistan has erected a fence along some of its border with Afghanistan but the Taliban and their allies have no problem getting into Pakistan. They are already there and are no longer allies of the Pakistani government which they believe had a hand in the murder of Bin Laden.
ThePakistan government didn`t know of the attack until after , the americans didn`t tell them because they didn`t trust them Bin Laden was very close to a police station so i would imagine they new he was there , Bin Laden was betrayed by a Doctor who tricked him into thinking he was trying to help he got OBL to give him DNA samples which he gave to the Americans for 25 million USDs , however he will never spend it because he is now rotting in a Pakistany prison.
From the link:
As author Jason Ditz notes, “hundreds” of troops amounts to almost nothing. The US appears to be removing some expensive missile systems which turned out to be nearly useless – the local folks basically ignored them.
The only reason this is news — is Saudi Arabia.
Biden is playing long game. On one hand, he is assuring them of his commitment to defend Saudi Arabia, on the other dismantling Patriot batteries, and removing support crews. Why?
In Saudi Arabia, Allegiance Council, which is comprised of all Saudi clans, decides on the succession to the throne.
Current successor, MBS, is a thorn in our ruling elite side, as evidenced by their spokespeople in mainstream press. So, assuring Saudi clans of iUS commitment to their security — while hinting MBS has to go BEFORE Kung dies, is the objective.
But the poor performance of Patriots and American crews was a bone of contention ever since Saudi oil facilities were hit. Attempts at blaming Iran did not hold — but what remained is a latent disagreement on the efficacy of dozens of batteries guarding facilities.
By removing such defenses — Biden is signaling displeasure at MBS. It is no secret that US wants Mohammed Bin Nayef restored in Crown Prince job.
This is an uphill battle, MBS is popular, he is King’s son, Allegiance Council supported him in Kashoggi case, and had already approved MBS succeeding his father. MBN — by contrast — is tarnished by his open collaboration with CIA and FBI in funding terrorist groups from Al-Qaeda to ISIS, and many Salafi militant groups from Syria and Libya to Iraq.
MBS popularity comes from reforms, many — myself included — doubted would materialize. Many reforms changed status of women, and these reforms challenged Wahhabi establishment power. Due to these popular reforms, it was easier to take away funds from Wahhabi sponsored militants all over the Middle East and Central Asia.
This radical change in funding society-disrupting Islamic movements stabilized many countries, from Libya to Syria and Iraq. Attempts at transplanting ISIS to Afghanistan failed.
It remains to be seen if the Allegiance Council will be scared into removing MBS.
Two major factors argue against it. One, Saudi Arabia has no enemies — recent talks with Iran testify to that. And second, Saudi Arabia’s largest oil buyer is China. Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Egypt are against US designs on Bab Al-Mandeb Straits. Bringing UAE troops into South Yemen was the signal that US commitment to Saudi Arabia and its interest in keeping Straits free from US naval control – was not genuine.
The saga continues.
Shootings in my neighborhood last night. Our county court house is dangerous to approach because of aggressive behavior from a homeless encampment in the next door park. Supposedly millions of Americans are threatened with eviction. All of these problems and more have not a whiff of hope for solution so long as we feel impelled to keep pivoting around the globe in a grotesque crusade for domination. Encircle and squeeze Russia and China until they are flat and gone and we still will have our failing democracy, insufficient infrastructure, and crumbling social contract here at home.
The Power Elite has no interest in the commonweal, the Constitution, rule-of-law or Human Rights. Never have had, except when forced to it (FDR). The Ruling Class of the US is comprehensively corrupt; but, more, is most adequately characterized as monomaniacal Will-to-Power.
Seems to me Biden is willing to play ball with Russia and wind things down some in the Middle East, but at the same time has to redeploy in order to not look weak. I think a similar thing took place just recently when the Russians were massing there forces near the Ukraine border and both Russia and the US backed off, probably according to some sort of agreement. Biden did something to distract at that time, I forgot what it was, upped the bomb budget or something. And of course our mainstream media cooperated as usual.