Since 2021, Iraq and Washington have agreed to transform the American military presence in Iraq into an advisory role (Associated Press)

Washington -

American national security strategies issued since the beginning of the era of former President Barack Obama, through the administration of Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden, gave priority to competition with China as the most important challenge to American global hegemony, and called for the necessity of reviewing the deployment of American forces around the world, especially in the Middle East. In order to provide more resources to meet the growing Chinese challenges.

The Biden administration's National Security Strategy, issued in October 2022, noted the need to "reduce the demands on resources that the Middle East region places on the United States in the long term."

However, from a practical standpoint, Washington currently maintains approximately 45,000 soldiers in Middle Eastern countries, and the escalation of tensions with China, or the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the one hand, or the tensions that the Middle East has witnessed since the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, have not changed Last October, on the other hand, the numbers of these forces.

With the escalation of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and the increasing risk of the conflict expanding regionally, after American forces were subjected to attacks inside Iraq, Syria and Jordan, in addition to the tensions in the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the entrance to the Red Sea, a number of American commentators are warning of the dangers of their country sliding into a larger conflict, which could It implicates some of the tens of thousands of American military personnel stationed throughout the region.

 In tense areas

Thousands of American soldiers are deployed in Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Israel as follows:

  • Syria: There are about 900 soldiers to carry out counter-terrorism operations against ISIS, and the military presence there supports the “SDF-Free Syrian Army” forces, most of which are made up of Kurdish militias.

  • Iraq: There are approximately 2,500 soldiers, and since July 2021, the American and Iraqi parties have agreed to transform the American military presence into a non-combat advisory role, supporting the Iraqi government in confronting the remnants of ISIS, but launching American retaliatory attacks in response to the attack on the Burj 22 base. In Jordan, it led to increased doubts about the future presence of American forces in Iraq.

  • Jordan: Many had not heard of the presence of American forces in Jordan until the attack last January, which killed 3 American soldiers and injured dozens. Despite the “secrecy” of the number of American forces in Jordan, some estimates suggest that there are 2,900 soldiers. Since June 2023 at the request of the Jordanian government, with the aim of supporting Jordan’s operations against ISIS fighters, in addition to carrying out intelligence missions.

  • Israel: There is no documented information available about the numbers of American forces inside Israel, while the United States maintains at least one secret military base, codenamed “Site 512,” and includes a radar monitoring system that can detect and track ballistic missile threats.

In stable areas

Thousands of American soldiers are also deployed in many stable Middle Eastern countries, such as:

  • Qatar: As another major non-NATO ally, Qatar plays a crucial role in Washington’s military strategy in the region, and the United States has approximately 8,000 American soldiers at Al Udeid Base, which hosts the regional headquarters of the US Central Command.

  • Bahrain: Washington maintains more than 9,000 soldiers, most of whom are stationed at a US naval base, which is the headquarters of the Central Command of the Naval Forces and the US Fifth Fleet. Khalifa bin Salman Port in Bahrain is one of the few facilities in the Gulf that can accommodate US aircraft carriers.

  • Kuwait: Approximately 13,500 American troops have been stationed in Kuwait since 1991, when the US-led multinational coalition expelled Iraqi forces from the country as part of the First Gulf War. These forces are stationed at Camp Arifjan and Ali Al-Salem Air Base.

  • Saudi Arabia: Nearly 2,700 American soldiers are stationed there to carry out training tasks for the Saudi army, and to provide advice and assistance against any Iranian dangers or threats, by supporting air and missile defense systems.

  • UAE: There are 3,500 American soldiers mainly at Al Dhafra Air Base, which includes the Gulf Air Warfare Center, a regional center for air and missile defense training, jointly managed by the UAE and the United States.

  • Oman: There are a few hundred soldiers stationed in the Sultanate, most of them from the Air Force.

  • Turkey: The United States has more than a thousand soldiers in Turkey, as a member of NATO, and they are mainly stationed at Incirlik Base in the south of the country.

  • Egypt: 465 American soldiers participate in the international peacekeeping forces, located in the Sinai Peninsula, as part of the Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement.

The future of forces in the region

In response to Washington and Baghdad starting talks that could lead to the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, at a time when some members of the Joe Biden administration are demanding the withdrawal of their country’s forces from Syria as well, the former head of Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie, argued that “talk about an American military withdrawal from Iraq Syria harms American interests.”

McKenzie said in an article in the New York Times, “This step gives hope to Tehran that it will succeed in its long-term goal of expelling the United States from the region through its proxy militias.” General McKenzie called on President Joe Biden to take a presidential decision that “affirms the firm commitment to keeping his forces in place.” In Syria, and an additional careful commitment to work with the Iraqi government, to find an acceptable level of forces there.”

A report issued by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington proposed 3 alternatives for the future of the American presence in the Middle East, as follows:

  • Minimum alternative: It includes the withdrawal of almost all American forces from the Middle East, with the exception of a small force of less than 5,000 soldiers, to deal with any threats that may result in a future threat to American interests.

  • The limited participation alternative: It involves an American military presence estimated at about 20 to 30 thousand military personnel, with the aim of dealing with a group of American interests related to monitoring and confronting competing countries in the region, such as China, Russia, and Iran.

  • The alternative to strong participation: It includes an American presence of between 40 and 50 thousand military personnel, to deter and respond to Iran and “terrorist threats”, monitor and confront Russian and Chinese activity, and ensure freedom of navigation.

Source: Al Jazeera