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B-52 Bombers Deployed in 'Clear and Unmistakable' Message to Iran

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The Defense Department is deploying four B-52 bombers to the Middle East to counter what the Pentagon has described as threats of possible attacks against U.S. troops in the region.

Two of B-52s were expected to leave Tuesday from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana en route to al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, CBS News reported.

A Defense Department official told CBS News earlier this week the U.S. has detected “preparations for possible attack.”

“There is more than one avenue of attack or possible attack that we’re tracking,” the official said.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said in a statement Sunday the deployment of the bomber task force along with the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, currently operating in the Mediterranean Sea, to the Central Command region was in response to “a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings.”

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Bolton said their presence will “send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.”

“The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces,” the national security adviser said.

B-52s are capable of carrying 70,000 pounds of bombs, according to an Air Force fact sheet.

US Strategic Command tweeted video of the aircraft in action at Barksdale AFB, noting the bombers can carry both nuclear and convention ordinance.

The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group already was scheduled to deploy to the Persian Gulf region but is being rushed in earlier than expected.

“The aircraft carrier, with a wing of warplanes and 3,000 sailors aboard, is accompanied by the USS Leyte Gulf, a guided-missile cruiser, and four destroyers, the USS Bainbridge, Gonzalez, Mason and Nitze,” USA Today reported.

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Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a Central Command spokesman, said in a statement, “U.S. Central Command continues to track a number of credible threat streams emanating from the regime in Iran throughout the CENTCOM area of responsibility.”

Do you approve of the Pentagon's decision to send the B-52s to the Middle East?

CNN reported that intelligence showing Iran is “likely moving short-range ballistic missiles aboard boats in the Persian Gulf was one of the critical reasons” for the deployment of the B-52s and the accelerated movement of the carrier strike group.

“The Pentagon currently believes Iran’s actions could put US and coalition forces at risk in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar,” according to the news outlet. “US military and intelligence officials are monitoring the movement of the Iranian missiles around the clock but have yet to see a pullback.”

Last month, President Donald Trump designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.

Trump noted the move marked the first time the U.S. has ever given that designation to part of a foreign government.

CORRECTION, May 8, 2019: This article was originally published under the headline “B-52 Bombers Scrambled in ‘Clear and Unmistakable’ Message to Iran.” That was inaccurate, as “scrambling” in military parlance means to “order or get into the air quickly,” usually in response to an immediate threat. We have changed “Scrambled” to “Deployed” in the headline to more accurately describe the nature of the combat readiness move, only half of which was apparently taken on the day of the announcement.

We apologize for any confusion we may have caused.

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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