NI: Trump should not send troops to Saudi Arabia and get involved in other people's wars

US President Donald Trump should not send his troops to Saudi Arabia because they would be at risk of terrorist attacks, making America embroiled in other wars, writer Paul Pilar says.

Trump is wisely resisting the start of a new Middle East war, but his failed "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran has forced him to do something, especially after last month's attacks on Saudi oil facilities, he says.

The author, who is the author of "Why America Misunderstands the World," says that the flood of criticism Trump received after the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, which considers Iran the winner of this step; has made the Trump administration increase pressure on Tehran.

He points out that the Trump administration has already imposed sanctions on almost everything in the Iranian economy, in the hope that the Iranian people will initiate a popular uprising that will lead to regime change, or make the Iranian regime behave in a way that would give the hawks in the United States the opportunity for the war they want.

Ally pays
He added that the new step taken by the Trump administration is to send 1,800 additional troops to Saudi Arabia, pointing out that Trump said that Saudi Arabia "a very good ally", and "agreed to pay us for everything we do."

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has already cited reasons for sending troops to Saudi Arabia, including a clear message that the United States supports its partners in the region.

The United States should give fewer empty checks and assurances to the Saudis and instead influence Riyadh toward resolving the dispute, the writer says.

The Trump administration should respond to the Yemeni Houthi offer to compromise the war in Yemen.

Oil flow
He adds that the second stated reason for the Secretary of Defense is the deployment of troops "to ensure the free flow of resources necessary to support the global economy."

This reason makes no sense, because it is the United States, not Iran, that has begun an attack on this flow, by using all the political and economic tools available to pressure to try to cut Iranian exports to zero, thereby preventing what would have been production and export. Oil that contributes to the "support of the global economy".

What difference will the deployment of US troops make in Saudi Arabia?

He says the first loss of American soldiers' lives in Saudi Arabia would confirm the US involvement in a war for others.

US soldiers in Saudi Arabia could also become targets of terrorist attacks, with some locals seeing them as a military occupation of their country.

The writer recalls the casualties suffered by American soldiers after the bombings in Khobar Towers in 1996.