Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Year : 2, Issue: 38
The US Defense Department announced steps Monday aimed at enhancing the defense posture of its forces across the Middle East.
“The DOD (Department of Defense) has taken steps to further enhance the defense posture of US forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war,” spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.
Saying that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier fleet, which was scheduled for rotation, is to remain in place, Singh said the augmented forces being deployed include F-16, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-22 and A-10 fighter jets, along with associated personnel that will be sent to the region.
“The Secretary (Lloyd Austin) also increased the readiness of additional US forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies,” she added.
Asked about reports of Israel’s plans for a ground invasion of Lebanon, Singh said: “I can tell you that we’re working with the Israelis and trying to learn more about what they intend to do right now. I just don’t have more to offer,” she added.
Reaffirming that Israel did not inform the US about the airstrikes it carried out on Sept. 27 that led to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon, Singh noted that “the Secretary (Austin) was caught off guard. We made that pretty clear on Friday. We were not involved in that operation. We were notified as the operation was underway.”
She denied claims of a “trust issue” between the US and Israeli defense minister and said that “since Oct. 7, the Secretary (Austin) was regularly engaging with (Israeli Defense) Minister (Yoav) Gallant, and so that conversation, dialog, has continued, and that is a good thing.”
Since Sept. 23, Israel has launched massive airstrikes against what it calls Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, killing more than 960 people and injuring over 2,770 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Source: Anadolu Agency
