The US sent two more B-52 bombers to the Middle East this week to support the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan as the Pentagon fears renewed Taliban attacks against US and NATO forces.
The two bombers arrived in Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, bringing the total number of B-52s on stand-by in the region to six. The US has also extended the deployment of an aircraft carrier in the Gulf and sent a dozen F-18 fighter jets to the region.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday that the US has plans to “introduce additional ground force capabilities.”
“We have made it exceedingly clear that protecting our forces and the forces of our allies and partners as they too withdraw is a priority, it’s a main priority,” Kirby told reporters.
While there have been reports of minor attacks near US bases, it appears that the Taliban is refraining from firing on foreign troops. In what could have been an effort to provoke the group, the US launched airstrikes against Taliban targets on Wednesday.
President Biden said he would bring all troops out of Afghanistan by September 11th, although the US and the Taliban are reportedly in talks to get foreign forces out by July. The US fears renewed Taliban attacks because Biden broke the US-Taliban peace deal by pushing back the original May 1st withdrawal deadline.
Paranoid Pentagon…!
Yes, because B-52 strikes were so effective against scattered forces in Vietnam- clearly it will work better in Afghanistan.