By the numbers: The US military buildup in the Middle East
By Haley Britzky and Will Mullery, CNN
4 minute read
Published 2:13 PM EDT, Fri November 3, 2023
CNN
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The US has significantly strengthened its military posture in the Middle East amid concerns about the war between Israel and Hamas triggering a wider regional conflict.
It has moved roughly 1,200 US service members to the region, alongside thousands of others aboard Navy carrier strike groups and a Marine Expeditionary Unit roughly 2,000 people strong.
The move of significant firepower to the region aims to send a clear deterrence message to US adversaries. There have been frequent low-level attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed groups, but the US is aiming to make it crystal clear that wider attacks would provoke a major response.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said this month that the additional forces in the region were meant to “bolster regional deterrence efforts, increase force protection for US forces in the region, and assist in the defense of Israel.”
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/03/politics/us-military-buildup-middle-east-dg/index.html
