20,000 US Troops Have Surged Into Mideast Since Last Spring To 'Counter Iran'

Without question, Iran retains the option of launching a preemptive strike in an effort to break the present USA strangle hold on its economy.  This is the same posture that existed in Euirope during the Cold War.

A force in pace prevented that turning into a hot War.  The same thing holds true here.  It also explains Iranian activities within Iraq as they attempt to turn the USA flank without exposing themselves.  Ful.l restoration of the Iraqi government is still a thing to be desired so long as the Shiites in Iraq remain unsubdued as are both the Sunnis and the Kurds.

The short cut to peace is to see off the Mullahs.  Thus we are strengthening our Force in place to support a general uprising of WE THE PEOPLE in IRAN if and when it happens.  In the meantime the Mullahs may well enter the path of compromise after the recent assassination.  All this is about creating the conditions for peace and deterring reckless behavior..

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20,000 US Troops Have Surged Into Mideast Since Last Spring To 'Counter Iran'

 

by Tyler Durden

 

Sat, 01/25/2020 - 21:30

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/20000-us-troops-have-surged-mideast-last-spring-counter-iran

The Associated Press reports a staggering surge of US troops into the Middle East since last Spring: "Over the past eight months, the United States has poured more than 20,000 additional troops into the Middle East to counter the escalating threat from Iran that peaked with the recent missile attack on American forces in Iraq." 

This despite President Trump's multiple prior pledges to "bring the troops home" especially related to Syria and Iraq. Following the Soleimani assassination and subsequent Iranian ballistic missile retaliation on Ayn al-Assad airbase, where Friday it was reported that 34 soldiers suffered traumatic brain injuries (a dramatically increased figure up from the prior 11), this trend in force build-up looks to continue. Here's breakdown of the staggering numbers via the AP: 

The top commander for US forces in the Middle East told a gathering of Marines and sailors during a speech aboard the USS Bataan on Thursday they could be there for “quite a while”.

Gen. Frank McKenzie addressed the question of any near-term potential draw down of the extra forces: “we’ll work that out as we go ahead,” he said.

Underscoring the Iran constitutes a serious "threat" he admitted:

“I’m not sure how long you’re going to stay in the theater. We’ll work that out as we go ahead. Could be quite a while, could be less than that, just don’t know right now.”

On the Iran threat specifically, he said further, “I do believe that they are deterred right now, at least from state-on-state actions by our response. And so I think that while that threat remains, I think we’re in a period where they’re certainly not seeking to escalate anything.” 

Ironically Gen. McKenzie's words were given a day before possibly up to one million Iraqis protested across the country Friday demanding an end of America's military presence.