Trump sends more troops to the Middle East!!!

Donald Trump has said it so many times that the whole world now knows that he doesn't want US troops in the Middle East anymore doing other people's work. He wants them at home, presumably with their families and getting lots of rest and going to the supermarket like everyone else. And he definitely does not want the US to be a world police force anymore. So that's clear. But heyho last night Mark Esper, the very solemn-looking US defence (defense, for my American friends) secretary, announces that he is sending another 2,000 troops to Saudi Arabia, bringing the total to 3,000 in a matter of months, plus two fighter squadrons, more Patriot anit-missile batteries and the formidable THAAD anti-ballistic missile system. More reinforcements to protect Saudi Arabia from possible future Iranian aggression. Poor Trump. He just can't get what he wants because events get in the way. As Harold Macmillan, the very Etonian Conservative prime minister of Great Britain said many many moons ago (PM from 1957-63), what brought him the greatest problem as leader was "events, dear boy, events". Trump cannot escape events. So even while he is plotting to remove all 1,000 US troops from Syria, he is giving his authority to Esper to send big reinforcements to Saudi Arabia which the last time I looked is in the Middle East. We know of course that the US - and the UK - will do almost anything the Saudis want and the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, wanted more protection from the Iranians. So off goes a shopping list from General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of US Central Command, to the Pentagon, and as the new Turkey versus Kurds war erupts in northern Syria, Esper stands up to make his Saudi announcement. Trump is always going to be thwarted in his desire to withdraw US troops from everywhere because, quite frankly, they are needed. They are still needed in Syria, not just to serve alongside the Kurdish-led anti-Isis Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) further south but also to stop Russia and Iran from massively increasing their influence in Syria. They are needed in Saudi Arabia because of Iran, they are needed throughout the Gulf region because of Iran etc etc. Nostradamus said the third world war would start in the Middle East, so America needs to do its stuff as the world's only superpower to prevent a mighty clash in this region of the world. The US HAS to play a role, a big role in the Middle East. Mark Esper knows that. So too does General Mark Milley, the new chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff who, judging by his first press briefing alongside the defence secretary yesterday, is going to be a really tough no-nonsense cookie which is good news.