US officials say that Patriot Missile systems and two other anti-missile and anti-aircraft systems are operational in Iraq now, following weeks of deployment. They are meant to protect US troops and their coalition allies.



Recently, bases with US troops in them have come under rocket fire, and this is meant to react to that, along with hypothetical attacks from Iran that almost certainly would only happen if the US attacked Iran again.



The US hadmissiles initially installed at Ayn al-Assad airbase and at a site in Irbil, Kurdistan. Others were installed at Camp Taji, near Baghdad. Further east, the US withdrew from some bases to avoid having to defend it.



There have been more reports on deploying the US missiles than rocket attacks in recent weeks, and officials no doubt want to emphasize action being taken amid allegations of a possible fight with Iraq or Iran.

Author: Jason Ditz Jason Ditz is news editor of Antiwar.com. View all posts by Jason Ditz