The Pentagon announced on Monday that the United States is preparing to send “few thousand” additional troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to be prepared to defend Israel if needed.
The increased presence will come from multiple fighter jet squadrons, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.
The additional personnel would include squadrons of A-10, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16, and F-22 fighter jets, including the personnel needed to support them. The jets had been supposed to rotate with and replace the squadrons already in operation. Instead, both the existing and new squadrons will remain in place to double the airpower on hand.
Yesterday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also announced that he was temporarily extending the stay of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and its associated squadrons in the region.
The jets are not there to assist in an evacuation, Singh says — “they are there for the protection of US forces.”
‘Ceasefire Now’
US President Joe Biden indicated on Monday he was opposed to Israeli ground operations in Lebanon and called for a ceasefire, as tensions spiraled after the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
“I’m more aware than you might know, and I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire now,” Biden told reporters when he was asked if he was aware of reports of Israeli plans for a limited operation and if he was comfortable with one going ahead.
