US adds 12 fighter jets to protect Afghanistan withdrawal
By Rebecca Kheel - 05/06/21 05:58 PM EDT
The U.S. military has added a dozen F-18 fighter jets to the military assets it is sending to protect troops as they withdraw from Afghanistan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told reporters Thursday.
The F-18s are on top of the previously announced six B-52 bombers sent to Qatar and the extension of the deployment of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the region, as well as elements of an Army Ranger team sent to Afghanistan.
U.S. officials are beefing up force protection measures amid Taliban threats to attack U.S. troops as they withdraw because the United States did not leave by a May 1 withdrawal deadline from a deal the insurgent group signed with the Trump administration last year.
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https://thehill.com/policy/defense/552244-us-adds-12-fighter-jets-to-protect-afghanistan-withdrawal
