What's going on? The US appears to be escalating something in Iraq?? Link
January 1 2020 2:30 AM The US ambassador to Iraq and other staff were evacuated from their embassy in Baghdad for their safety yesterday, Iraqi officials said, as thousands of protesters and militia fighters thronged the gates in fury at US air strikes in Iraq.
This report is dated January 1/2020 @ 2:30 am (time of my post is 9:40 am EST Dec. 31/2019) so the diplomatic staff were evacuated December 31/19?At what time? Contrary to earlier reports there had been no evacuation? Did the evacuate take place because they were sending in additional troops? Is the US going to back a coup of some sorts? I mean an infantry batallion with more to come?The Hill
"Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday that 750 U.S. soldiers will deploy "immediately" to the Middle East after violent protests at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.In a series of tweets, Esper said that more U.S. forces stand ready to deploy to the region.
"At the direction of the Commander in Chief @POTUS, I have authorized the deployment of an infantry battalion from the Immediate Response Force (IRF) of the @82ndABNDiv to the @CENTCOM area of operations in response to recent events in Iraq," Esper said.
"Approximately 750 #Soldiers will deploy to the region immediately & additional forces from the IRF are prepared to deploy over the next several days," he added. "This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today."
Approximately 750 #Soldiers will deploy to the region immediately & additional forces from the IRF are prepared to deploy over the next several days. This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel...— Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper (@EsperDoD) January 1, 2020
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