Small Wars Journal

Esper Tours Saudi Military Site as U.S. Readies Troop Buildup

Wed, 10/23/2019 - 12:08am

Esper Tours Saudi Military Site as U.S. Readies Troop Buildup by Nancy A. Youssef – Wall Street Journal

Defense Secretary Mark Esper met Tuesday with the king of Saudi Arabia during a tour of the kingdom’s military facilities as the U.S. pursues its biggest Middle East troop buildup of the Trump administration.

Mr. Esper arrived in Saudi Arabia Monday as the U.S. steps up support for Riyadh against a recent series of attacks on Saudi oil industry facilities and tankers blamed on Iran. The trip also comes amid strained U.S.-Saudi relations and growing Russian influence in the region,

Earlier this month, the U.S. military announced that it would deploy 2,000 troops, three new antimissile systems, two squadrons of jet fighters and other equipment to Saudi Arabia in an accelerating U.S. buildup meant to counter Iranian hostilities in the region…

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