Is the US withdrawing 20,000 troops from Saudi Arabia?

US media recently reported that the administration of President Joe Biden has begun preparations to withdraw its forces from Saudi Arabia.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington was “increasingly concerned” about missile and drone strikes by Yemeni forces on military structures and targets deep in Saudi Arabia, and that Washington intended to keep its forces safe. Get them out of Saudi Arabia (and practically out of the Yemeni war).

Noting that the United States was concerned about the lives of its troops in Saudi Arabia because of the attacks, the paper said that the United States had withdrawn its troops from Saudi Arabia under former (and belligerent) President Donald Trump. has started.

According to reports and available statistics, there are about 20,000 US troops in Saudi Arabia at various levels, which according to Biden’s new strategy, these forces should be withdrawn from the country.

Al-Bawaba Al-Akhbariya Al-Alamiyah news website also reported that what strengthens the possibility of the withdrawal of American troops from Saudi Arabia is the announcement of the dismantling of the US Patriot and Todd anti-missile systems from Saudi Arabia; In addition, Washington’s political and diplomatic moves in the Arab Gulf states must be taken into account.

The Associated Press reported yesterday (Saturday) that despite continued Ansar al-Yemeni airstrikes and missiles on Saudi Arabia (military and economic centers), the United States has deployed much of its missile defense system in recent weeks. This country has left.

The next issue is the cancellation of the US Secretary of Defense’s visit to Saudi Arabia, which was scheduled to take place on September 9th. Lloyd Austin began a periodic trip to four Gulf states a few days ago: Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, but refused to travel to Riyadh due to trips to Doha, Kuwait and Manama, which he believes Experts on regional issues were called to account for the withdrawal of US troops and air defense systems from Saudi Arabia because they did not face Saudi officials.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed to the Associated Press that the US air defense system was “moving out of Saudi Arabia,” but said the United States had a “broad and deep” commitment to its allies in the Middle East. has it.

“The Department of Defense continues to support the ‘United States’s interests and its regional partnerships, maintaining tens of thousands of strong forces and positions in the Middle East that represent some of our most advanced air and naval forces, but at the same time Kirby,” he said. US interests did not pay attention to the thousands of kilometers between West Asia and the United States!

Since 1990, Saudi Arabia has housed the largest number of American troops in the Persian Gulf region. In this country, various military facilities belonging to the American forces in the areas of “Dammam, Hafov, Khabar, Tabuk, Yanbu”, “King Abdul Aziz” base in Dhahran, “King Fahd” naval base in Jeddah, “King Khalid” air base in Abha, Riyadh military base and Al-Taif military base are located. Al-Amir Sultan Air Base south of Riyadh is the most important US military base in Saudi Arabia, with more than 5,000 US troops.

While the United States has provided extensive support, including military, to Arab leaders, especially Saudi Arabia, over the past three decades, Abu Dhabi’s former adviser, Abdul Khaliq Abdullah, stressed a few days ago that Washington was no longer willing to represent the Arab world. , To enter the war, so the United States no longer intends to support the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf.

Meanwhile, Turki al-Faisal, the former head of the Saudi intelligence service, told CNN on Thursday that Washington should not withdraw Patriot missile systems from its country.

In an interview with the Saudi prince, the host of the American network “CNBC” asked, what does Saudi Arabia want from the United States in view of the developments in Afghanistan?

In response, al-Faisal claimed, “I believe we need to get a reassurance about the US commitment. For example, at a time when Saudi Arabia is a victim! “Missile and drone strikes are not only from Yemen, but also from Iran, not to expel Patriot missiles from Saudi Arabia.”

He added that “the withdrawal of the Patriot air defense system shows the intention announced by the United States to help Saudi Arabia defend itself against foreign enemies!” will not be.

Al-Faisal further expressed hope that the United States would guarantee its commitments to Saudi Arabia and “deploy everything necessary” to help the country.

He noted that the Saudis would prefer to receive help from the Americans, but also sought “other support” in order to strengthen their air defenses against what he called the Yemeni and Iranian attacks.

The former Saudi official, who was saddened by the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, extended the grief to the withdrawal of US troops and Patriot systems from Saudi Arabia, saying, “Given the chaotic withdrawal of Americans from Afghanistan and the current crisis in Kabul, the United States must “Show serious support for the countries of the region.”

“Apart from Saudi Arabia, the other Gulf states are ‘equally vulnerable’ and the United States has to guarantee its reliability, but I do not know if the Biden government will be able to do it,” he said.

The Insider Monkey website recently reported on global military spending last year (2020), stating that global military spending this year was about $ 981 billion, the highest level since 1988. Eighty-one percent of the spending was spent by the top 15 countries, with 62 percent coming from the United States, China, India, Russia and the United Kingdom.

The United States ranks first in military spending at $ 778 billion. The United States has three times as much military spending as China and more than 10 times as much as India. These are about 39 percent of the world’s total military spending. The US military budget fell 10 percent from 2011 to 2019, but grew by about 4.4 percent from 2019 to 2020.

The US military actions in the last four decades in West Asia, especially in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq, have resulted in nothing but the killing and destruction of Muslims, all in order to ensure the security of the Zionist regime and benefit from its natural resources. Countries other than Iran.

During his campaign, US President Joe Biden announced that he intended to withdraw US troops from the West Asian region, which was partly due to the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan after 20 years of aggression and looting, but still a large part. These forces have not left the region and the possibility of the withdrawal of US aggressors from Syria and Iraq is unlikely, although it is not unlikely, but the important issue in between is the hasty and possible withdrawal of US troops from Saudi Arabia such as Afghanistan. , Will shock Al Saud, an action that has not yet begun, but has taken sleep from Saudi officials as Riyadh officials, backed by the United States and countries such as the UAE, invaded Yemen and destroyed the country for more than six years. اند.

Certainly, the withdrawal of American troops from the West Asian region, which Biden stressed that their presence in the region is fruitless, is in the interest of both the United States and the countries of the region, because the United States is not destroying its material capital or its military. They will be killed and at the same time Muslims will not be killed by the Americans and the destruction of Islamic countries will stop.

The next point is that the withdrawal of American forces from Saudi Arabia, which is practically supported by the Saudi military in attacking the defenseless people of Yemen, will end the fruitless war in Yemen sooner and the Saudis will stop killing and besieging the Yemenis. Let the people of this country determine their own destiny.