Al-Qaeda was very publicly using the presence of US ground troops in Saudi Arabia as a recruiting tool in the period around 9/11. Suggesting that many lessons have not been learned, some 2,500 US troops are back in the kingdom, and readying for a long stay.
Hype surrounding military tensions with Iran are driving this US deployment back into the region. More and more ground troops are being sent every time there is even a little tension, nominally to “deter” Iran from attacking the Saudi kingdom.
These deployments began in earnest when Yemen’s Houthis fired missiles at Saudi oil producing regions, and the Saudis blamed Iran for it. US military tensions in Iraq led to many more troops being sent, since Iraq made clear they didn’t want more US troops there, and the US wanted them somewhere near Iran.
US hostility toward Iran isn’t getting better, so a decision to leave seems unlikely. Since the US went into Saudi Arabia once again oblivious to the regional consequences, they’ll likely follow the same path as last time, remaining unaware until it becomes a huge problem.
The troops are not sent, they are deployed and deployment needs a presidential order.
So what is it…is the leadership so stupid as to repeat one of the reasons for 9/11 ? ..or….does the leadership know al Qaeda and Bin Laden had nothing to do with 9/11 ?
Another pretense that Iran is the aggressor, when we all know it is the Saudis attacking Houthis and destroying Yemen.
It will be a “huge problem” because they’re there as part of the planning for the upcoming Iran war. That’s going to be the “huge problem” – not some possible Al Qaeda attack in the US.