Top Pentagon Official Tells Senators More Troops Might Be Sent to Mideast

[EBounding]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/top-pen...st-11575569890

A top Pentagon official told senators that U.S. military officials are considering bolstering the U.S. force presence in the Middle East to counter threats from Iran following a significant buildup throughout the year.

John Rood, the undersecretary of defense for policy, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that the Pentagon had sent 14,000 additional troops this year and was considering more forces, but wouldn’t say how many.

“We haven’t made a decision yet,” Mr. Rood said under questioning by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.). “Based on what we are seeing…it is possible we would need to adjust our force posture. I think that would be a prudent step, depending on what we observe, because our objective is to deter Iranian aggression.”

The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reported Wednesday that the Pentagon was considering as many as 14,000 additional troops to respond to potential Iranian threats, and that a decision could come later this month.

President Trump also could approve a smaller deployment, the officials said.

Earlier in his testimony Thursday, Mr. Rood called the Journal report erroneous, saying, “We haven’t made a decision to deploy an additional 14,000 troops.”

Ms. Blackburn then asked Mr. Rood whether additional forces were being considered, or whether the Pentagon might send fewer than 14,000. “Yes,” he responded.

“We are evaluating the threat situations,” he said. “We will need to make dynamic adjustments to our posture.”

...

[Anti Globalist]

Pretty much everybody thats works for the Pentagon is part of the Deep State. Theres never going to be an instance where they want troops to come home.

[EBounding]

Pretty much everybody thats works for the Pentagon is part of the Deep State. Theres never going to be an instance where they want troops to come home.

And Trump is working hard to stop their agenda by sending an additional 14,000 so far this year.

[Warlord]

And Trump is working hard to defeat them by sending an additional 14,000 so far this year.

The White House denied the report. Swordsmyth posted it the other day

[EBounding]

The White House denied the report. Swordsmyth posted it the other day

No, they already sent 14,000 this year. They're considering even more troops up to 14,000.

[acptulsa]

The White House denied the report. Swordsmyth posted it the other day

The Pentagon denied it Wednesday, then confirmed it Thursday. I don't think any of the yuge White House tweets lately have been on any subject of substance.

[EBounding]

The Pentagon denied it Wednesday, then confirmed it Thursday. I don't think any of the yuge White House tweets lately have been on any subject of substance.

They already sent 14,000 this year (see the story above). They're considering even more troops up to 14,000. Plus, the original story never said an additional 14,000 were definitely being deployed.

[acptulsa]

They already sent 14,000 this year (see the story above). They're considering even more troops up to 14,000.

Yes, that's exactly right. They didn't deny the 14,000 already there Wednesday before confirming them Thursday, as everyone knows they're already there. They're definitely talking about not talking about talking about sending up to 14,000 more.

And it's a pretty safe bet they chose "up to 14,000" deliberately as the number they denied to the public Wednesday before confirming it to the senators Thursday in hopes the public would confuse the theoretical up to 14,000 more with the existential 14,000.

As in, "Trump hasn't sent the 14,000. They're only talking about sending 14,000."

"Actually, Trump has sent 14,000, and they're talking about sending up to 14,000 more."

"I'm going to accuse you of having TDS and run away now."

You've heard of plausible deniability? Well now they've invented plausible cognitive dissonance.

[Warlord]

Guys, Swordsmyth has already debunked the 14,000 additional troops in the Ron Paul forum.

[acptulsa]

Guys, Swordsmyth has already debunked the 14,000 additional troops in the Ron Paul forum.

Dude, he got debunked, by Rood, before the senate committee.

Earlier in his testimony Thursday, Mr. Rood called the Journal report erroneous, saying, “We haven’t made a decision to deploy an additional 14,000 troops.”

Ms. Blackburn then asked Mr. Rood whether additional forces were being considered, or whether the Pentagon might send fewer than 14,000. “Yes,” he responded.

The Pentagon denied the decision was made, and Yahoo! took that to mean it wasn't being considered, which was an error. SS repeated the lie several times hoping to make it true. But it didn't make it true.

Either Yahoo! lied to you or Rood lied to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Rood knows what will happen to him if he lies to the SASC. Does Yahoo! ever go to jail for lying to you?

[acptulsa]

Those who only believe Yahoo! really ought to look at it again this morning. It is now saying Ron was right.

https://news.yahoo.com/u-military-co...183049051.html

The Pentagon on Wednesday strongly denied a Wall Street Journal report that the United States was considering sending 14,000 additional troops to the region.

Lawmakers on Thursday pressed John Rood, the Pentagon's No. 3 official, on whether additional troops were being considered for the Middle East.

"Based on what we're seeing with our concerns about the threat picture, it is possible that we would need to adjust our force posture," Rood said.

"We are always considering and in fact, based on the threat situation in the Middle East are watching that, and as necessary the secretary of defense has told me he intends to make changes to our force posture there," Rood said.

Lawmakers appeared frustrated by Rood's answers. Republican Senator Josh Hawley said he wanted to hear from Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

"I'd like to hear from him today on this issue ... I'd like to have it in public because the Pentagon has now made multiple contradictory public statements," Hawley said.

The United States has already dispatched about 14,000 additional troops to the Middle East since May, backed by bombers and air defense personnel, to act as a deterrent against what Washington says is provocative Iranian behavior.

The Pentagon's openness to deploying additional troops is unsurprising, given regular planning meant to address potential spikes in tensions with Iran, which is struggling with U.S. sanctions and street protests.

[enhanced_deficit]

Presidents can be under great pressures (separate from sort of things in media rumors this week about alleged blackmailer spy Jeffrey Epstein or anti-Iran/pro Israel crazy activists like Andrew Adler of Atlanta threat scandal etc) that are not visible to public, so all sides should wait till fog clears about the exetent of Deep Neocons infleunce on GOPA leadership and final decisions.

And Trump is working hard to stop their agenda by sending an additional 14,000 so far this year.

^this.

[Zippyjuan]

Pentagon saying that while the 14,000 figure may not be accurate, they are indeed considering sending troops beyond the 14,000 additional troops sent since May. Back in March, Trump said we didn't need any more troops in the region. Then he sent 14,000 more.

[RonZeplin]

Commander in Chief Donnell Trump & his Pentagon are world renowned liars.

Don't fall for their Deep State propaganda.

[Zippyjuan]

Commander in Chief Donnell Trump & his Pentagon are world renowned liars.

Don't fall for their Deep State propaganda.

Instead believe the Commander in Chief.

"The US will be out of Syria in 30 days"- Donald Trump, December 2018.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Thursday he did not think additional U.S. troops are needed in the Middle East to counter Iran, casting doubt on a Pentagon plan to bolster forces in the region.

“I don’t think we’re going to need them. I really don’t,” Trump told reporters. “I would certainly send troops if we need them.” If needed, “we’ll be there in whatever number we need,” he added.

Donald Trump, May 2019. In the next six months, he added 14,000 troops to the region. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...-idUSKCN1ST2C6

[Swordsmyth]

The Pentagon denied it Wednesday, then confirmed it Thursday. I don't think any of the yuge White House tweets lately have been on any subject of substance.

They did NOT confirm it Thursday, "anonymous sources" and Rood saying they would make adjustments as necessary mean nothing.

[Swordsmyth]

Those who only believe Yahoo! really ought to look at it again this morning. It is now saying Ron was right.

https://news.yahoo.com/u-military-co...183049051.html

Or Not.

Rood said nothing either way and it frustrated them.

[Swordsmyth]

Dude, he got debunked, by Rood, before the senate committee.



The Pentagon denied the decision was made, and Yahoo! took that to mean it wasn't being considered, which was an error. SS repeated the lie several times hoping to make it true. But it didn't make it true.

Either Yahoo! lied to you or Rood lied to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Rood knows what will happen to him if he lies to the SASC. Does Yahoo! ever go to jail for lying to you?

You are the one repeating a lie and trying to make it true.

Rood said anything might happen, that includes sending ZERO troops.

[Zippyjuan]

They did NOT confirm it Thursday, "anonymous sources" and Rood saying they would make adjustments as necessary mean nothing.

OP says they are "considering" sending more troops- not that more troops are definitely going. Rood confirmed that.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-s...ed-middle-east

Ms. Blackburn then asked Mr. Rood whether additional forces were being considered, or whether the Pentagon might send fewer than 14,000. “Yes,” he responded.

Undersecretary Rood is not an "anonymous source". He made the statement in public testimony to Congress yesterday. It is on the record.

Trump hinted at more troops too:

Also yesterday afternoon, a reporter asked the president about the possibility of increased troop deployments to the Middle East. “We’ll announce – whatever we do, we’ll announce,” Trump replied. “But certainly, there might be a threat. And if there is a threat, it will be met very strongly.”

White House denial only said that it won't be 14,000 troops- not that it may be a different number.

[CCTelander]

[Swordsmyth]

OP says they are "considering" sending more troops- not that more troops are definitely going. Rood confirmed that.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-s...ed-middle-east



Undersecretary Rood is not an "anonymous source". He made the statement in public testimony to Congress yesterday. It is on the record.

Trump hinted at more troops too:

Read what I wrote before commenting, I discussed Rood's noncommittal non-statement.

And whatever you wanted to point to that Trump "hinted" isn't showing but it was probably another "we might do anything" statement.

[Zippyjuan]

Read what I wrote before commenting, I discussed Rood's noncommittal non-statement.

And whatever you wanted to point to that Trump "hinted" isn't showing but it was probably another "we might do anything" statement.

"Yes" is pretty committal.

Ms. Blackburn then asked Mr. Rood whether additional forces were being considered, or whether the Pentagon might send fewer than 14,000. “Yes,” he responded.

[Swordsmyth]

"Yes" is pretty committal.

Yes to "might" is not very committal.

[Swordsmyth]

Trump hinted at more troops too:



White House denial only said that it won't be 14,000 troops- not that it may be a different number.

As I thought.
Trump said anything might happen depending on unknown future events.

That's nothing.

[Zippyjuan]

As I thought.
Trump said anything might happen depending on unknown future events.

That's nothing.

In May, Trump said he didn't think we needed any more troops over there. Since then, he has sent 14,000 more plus hardware. He constantly does the opposite of what he says. A year ago, he said we would be out of Syria in 30 days.

[EBounding]

As I thought.
Trump said anything might happen depending on unknown future events.

That's nothing.

But Trump already sent 14,000 this year.

[jmdrake]

The White House denied the report. Swordsmyth posted it the other day

“We haven’t made a decision yet,” Mr. Rood said under questioning by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.). “Based on what we are seeing…it is possible we would need to adjust our force posture. I think that would be a prudent step, depending on what we observe, because our objective is to deter Iranian aggression.”
...
Ms. Blackburn then asked Mr. Rood whether additional forces were being considered, or whether the Pentagon might send fewer than 14,000. “Yes,” he responded.

So as long as the Pentagon only sends 13,999 additional troops to the middle east to confront Iran, technically @Swordsmyth would still be correct....but....



Seriously...what difference does it make the precise number? Why are we sending any more troops to the middle east? Why this need to "confront Iran?" And if we are serious about confronting Iran don't we need more than 14,000 troops? The problem is the policy, not the number of troops. Obama got a lot of things wrong, but one thing he got right was the nuclear deal with Iran and attempting to roll back tensions with Iran. Signing the illegal Tom Cotton letter was one of the worst mistakes Rand Paul ever made.

[acptulsa]

He constantly does the opposite of what he says.

So, taking Swordshyll's side? Since whenever Trump says no more troops he sends more troops, you're saying when Trump says maybe more troops that means no more troops?

Well, the two of you might be right. But then again, maybe when Trump says maybe it means, 'I'm sending twice that many'.

[Warlord]

Rood is not the commander in chief, so technically he's acting above his pay grade. I'm with Swordsymth on this one.. anon officials sounding off in the War Street Joiurnal does not make official policy. Ron also took those reports as read.

[Ender]

[i]

Seriously...what difference does it make the precise number? Why are we sending any more troops to the middle east? Why this need to "confront Iran?" And if we are serious about confronting Iran don't we need more than 14,000 troops? The problem is the policy, not the number of troops. Obama got a lot of things wrong, but one thing he got right was the nuclear deal with Iran and attempting to roll back tensions with Iran. Signing the illegal Tom Cotton letter was one of the worst mistakes Rand Paul ever made.

Absolutely!

Trump should never have pulled out of the Iran Deal. His campaign BS on this subject was a a pretty obvious clue as to the continuation of more ME wars.