After satellite images showed facilities being prepared for them, US officials were quoted in the media as saying that there is a plan to send “up to 500” US ground troops to Saudi Arabia in response to Iran tensions.



Former Congressman Ron Paul commented on the matter, both saying it accomplishes very little, and warning that historically having US troops on the Arabian Peninsula has been a source of anger among Islamists. Osama bin Laden specifically attributed his 9/11 attack to the US having troops in his holy land. After 9/11, the US made a point of removing troops from Saudi Arabia, and now seems to be in the process of sending them back.

The soldiers will be sent to an area next to the Prince Sultan Airbase east of the Saudi capital of Riyadh, where there are plans for a large missile installation to protect the base.



With officials trying to present this as something to do with Iran, this is a continuation of a US military buildup across the Middle East that has been ongoing for months, each if which ends up being justified by some non-specific Iranian “provocation.”



