An unspecified number of troops in the US have been put on prepare to deploy orders, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Monday.

“Secretary Austin increased the readiness of additional US forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies,” she said. “I’m just not going to get into specifics for [operational security] reasons, but these forces cover a wide range of capabilities and missions.”

Singh also said that additional air defense support going to the region, announced by the Pentagon on Sunday, are units previously scheduled to deploy that will now be joining units already there instead of replacing them.

The reinforcement of air support capabilities, she said, includes “a certain number of units already deployed to the Middle East region that will be extended, and the forces due to rotate into theater to replace them will now instead augment the in-place forces already in the region.” It will include “an additional few thousand” service members in the region, she said.

“I can tell you these augmented forces include F-16, F-15E, A-10, F-22 fighter aircraft and associated personnel,” Singh said.

    • PugJesus@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Well, without Israelis causing trouble, the Saudis and Iranians would still be jousting in proxy wars across the region, Turkiye would still be trying to kill the Kurds, and Syria would still be locked in civil war.

      But it would be at least a bit quieter, that’s for sure. I’m sure Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine would be immensely relieved.

      • njm1314@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        I mean we shouldn’t pretend that Israel doesn’t have their hands all over the Syrian Civil War.

        • PugJesus@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          I’d say they, like Iran, are meddling for their own purposes, but are not the core reason for its start or continuation.

        • PugJesus@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          God, remember just before the Arab Spring when we were supposed to ‘pivot’ to South Asia and leave the sandbox behind?

          Fuck.

            • PugJesus@lemmy.world
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              1 month ago

              Don’t think such a project would be very successful even without Netanyahu. I suspect the support we’ve given since the 80s are closer to making a North Korea in the Middle East, simply by removing consequences for provoking their neighbors for ‘security concerns’.

      • mormund@feddit.org
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        1 month ago

        Well, without Israelis causing trouble, the Saudis and Iranians would still be jousting in proxy wars across the region, Turkiye would still be trying to kill the Kurds, and Syria would still be locked in civil war.

        Maybe I’m ignorant or thinking of older conflicts, but isn’t all of the above still happening?