Pentagon Chief: US Has No Plans to Increase Mideast Forces
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSFEB. 3, 2017, 10:15 P.M. E.S.T.
TOKYO — U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Saturday the U.S. cannot afford to ignore destabilizing moves by Iran, but has no plans to respond by increasing American military forces in the Middle East.
Mattis spoke at a joint news conference in Tokyo with his Japanese counterpart, Tomomi Inada. Mattis held a series of high-level meetings in Seoul and Tokyo this week on his first overseas trip as Pentagon chief. He was returning to Washington Saturday.
Asked about U.S. concern about China's militarization of artificial islands in the South China Sea, Mattis was critical of China's moves but said U.S. military action was not appropriate.
https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/02/03/world/asia/ap-as-mattis-asia.html?ref=world
