World Tribune.com
Airport - after landing

U.S. has more than 19,000 troops in Arab world

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, July 18, 2002

WASHINGTON Ñ The United States has more than 19,000 troops in the Persian Gulf and other parts of the Arab world, Pentagon officials said.

They said the troops were deployed in the areas under the responsibility of U.S. Central Command. These include Gulf Cooperation Council states and Egypt.

Gulf Defense sources estimate the true figure may be more than 25,000, Middle East Newsline reported.

About 10,000 U.S. troops are based in Kuwait and 4,000 in Saudi Arabia, U.S. officials said.

U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. David McKiernan told the House Armed Services Committee special oversight panel on terrorism on Wednesday that currently the troops include both active and reserve units. He cited such units as the 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry, 39th Enhanced Separate Brigade from the Arkansas Army National Guard and the 1st Battalion, 86th Infantry, 41st Enhanced Separate Brigade from Oregon.

"As of mid-summer, there were over 19,000 soldiers deployed across the Centcom area of responsibility conducting full spectrum operations," McKiernan said. "Some, like the army forces deployed in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere have been deterring Iraqi aggression since 1991.

Others, like those soldiers monitoring the peace in the Sinai as part of the Multinational Force Observer mission, have been there since 1982."

The figure cited by the general is less than the estimate of Gulf defense sources. They assert that the United States has deployed more than 25,000 military personnel in Gulf Cooperation Council countries. They said many of the personnel are based in air bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

McKiernan said additional reserve units are being sent to participate in the Multi-National Force Observers in Sinai. The general said that in 2002 units from the 82nd Airborne Division and the 10th Mountain Division will share observer duties.

Print this Article Print this Article Email this article Email this article Subscribe to this Feature Free Headline Alerts
Google
Search Worldwide Web Search WorldTribune.com Search WorldTrib Archives

See current edition of Geostrategy-Direct.com

Return to World Tribune.com Front Cover