U.S. MILITARY TO SEND SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TROOPS TO SAUDI ARABIA -SOURCES

[Falcon29]

U.S. MILITARY TO SEND SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TROOPS TO SAUDI ARABIA -SOURCES

WASHINGTON - The United States is planning to send a large number of additional forces to Saudi Arabia following the Sept. 14 attack on its oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh have blamed on Iran, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request to comment. The sources did not specify exactly how many troops would be deployed but said it was expected to be in the thousands.

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U.S. deploying forces to Saudi Arabia, and the Saudis are paying for it

Trump said the United States would not bear the expense of the deployment. "Saudi Arabia, at my request, has agreed to pay us for everything we’re doing," he told reporters.

www.jpost.com

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Original source is Rueters it appears. Will update this thread if more info comes out. If it is true I'd expect around 2000 more troops.

 

[Falcon29]

CNN Arabic article suggests it will be 2,000 more troops:
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واشنطن، الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية (CNN)-- أكدت مصادر أمريكية مسؤولة، في تصريحات لـCNN، الجمعة، أن وزارة الدفاع الأمريكية (البنتاغون) سوف ترسل 2000 جندي إضافي إلى الشرق الأوسط لمواجهة التهديد الإيراني.
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مصادر لـCNN: البنتاغون سترسل نحو ألفي جندي لمواجهة التهديد الإيراني

أكدت مصادر أمريكية مسؤولة، في تصريحات لـCNN، الجمعة، أن وزارة الدفاع الأمريكية (البنتاغون) سوف ترسل 2000 جندي إضافي إلى الشرق الأوسط لمواجهة التهديد الإيراني.

arabic.cnn.com

 

[Falcon29]

Pentagon seems to officially confirm the news according to Al Arabiya(Saudi State TV):


First 1,000 troops were for the missile defense systems. The recent deployment is the 2,000 troops for those roles. ^^


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This might be related:

 

[Khafee]

F-15s, air defense systems and thousands of U.S. troops heading to Saudi Arabia
11 Oct 2019

An F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron takes off for Agile Strike Sept. 18 at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. The 336th EFS sent two aircraft and personnel to operate missions out of Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. (Staff Sgt. Chris Thornbury/Air Force)

The Pentagon is sending Air Force F-15s, new air defense systems and other assets — along with the thousands of U.S. troops needed to operate and maintain them — to Saudi Arabia.

The deployments, announced by the Pentagon Friday morning, bring the total deployment of U.S. forces to the kingdom to 3,000 since a mid-September attack on a Saudi oil field.

According to chief department spokesman Jonathan Hoffman, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has authorized the deployment of two fighter squadrons, an air expeditionary wing, two Patriot batteries and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) to Saudi territory. Although not officially announced, it is expected the fighter squadrons will be F-15s.

Speaking to reporters after the announcement, Esper said it is now “clear that Iranians are responsible” for the attacks in Saudi territory and warned that the U.S. has “on alert additional” forces that can provide increased security “if necessary.”

The additional forces, requested by U.S. Central Command, come as a result of concerns “based on what we hear from partners and allies in the region about continued Iranian behavior,” Esper said. "We thought it was important to continue to deploy forces, to deter and defend, and to send the message to the Iranians: Do not strike another sovereign state, do not threaten American interests or forces, or we will respond.

“Do not mistake our restraint for weakness. If you will, you will regret that.”

The deployments mean the Pentagon has increased the number of forces in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility by approximately 14,000 since May. That comes as the department has emphasized the need to adhere to the National Defense Strategy, a document that explicitly calls for drawing down in the CENTCOM region in order to refocus resources towards China and Russia.

The force increase comes as the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln is nearing the end of its deployment in the region. Should that deployment not be extended, the number of forces in the region would drop by nearly half.

Soldiers from Battery C, 1st Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, begin a missile reload operation in U.S. Central Command March 7. (Sgt. Zach Mott/Army)

The oil facility attack sent shock waves through both the global energy market and the national security sector, with fingers quickly pointing toward Iran as the culprit. Days later, Esper and Gen. Joe Dunford, the then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs, ordered the deployment of 200 U.S. troops and a Patriot missile battery to Saudi Arabia. The Pentagon leaders also announced two more Patriot batteries and one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, and its associated personnel, were on “prepare to deploy” orders.

The U.S. already sent about 500 troops to Saudi’s Prince Sultan Air Base this summer, the first such deployment since the U.S. stopped sending troops there after the Iraq invasion.