Trump Sends Troops to Saudi Arabia: Foreign Policy

Donald Trump is sending 1,800 more troops to Saudi Arabia. During a meeting with congressional leaders, Trump suggested that Saudi Arabia will cover the costs. Abrupt US withdrawal from Syria left Kurds, key allies in the fight against the Islamic State, to fend for themselves against a Turkish invasion. A hasty ceasefire has since been announced by the US and Turkey, both NATO members. Nations that depend on NATO and US security assurances are concerned. The move “has even confused the United States’ main adversaries, China and Russia, which have worked to undermine U.S. dominance in the Middle East for years but never sought to fully replace it for fear of inheriting the chaos caused by the United States’ departure,” explains Bilal Y. Saab for Foreign Policy. He adds that drone attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen that crippled an Aramco facility have shattered any notion that US troops stationed anywhere in the region can quickly shift location to stabilize crises. The Trump administration is clear on its priorities: US cost reductions, US weapons sales and avoiding conflict unless protection of US lives is involved. Saab recommends a hard rather than minor strike against Iran for attacks on oil infrastructure, and he concludes that the words and behavior of US leaders may matter more for deterrence than weapons and troop deployments. Iran and other adversaries recognize that “the U.S. political system is dangerously divided, the president is weak and facing impeachment, and the U.S. national security bureaucracy is operating at a fraction of its potential due to the considerable brain drain.” – YaleGlobal