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U.S. Speeding Up Missile Defenses in Persian Gulf

(New York Times) David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt - The Obama administration is accelerating the deployment of new defenses against possible Iranian missile attacks in the Persian Gulf, placing special ships off the Iranian coast and anti-missile systems in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait, according to administration and military officials. The deployments are partly intended to counter the impression that Iran is fast becoming the most powerful military force in the Middle East and to forestall any Iranian escalation of its confrontation with the West if a new set of sanctions is imposed. American officials argue that the willingness of Arab states to take the American emplacements, which usually come with a small deployment of American soldiers to operate, maintain and protect the equipment, illustrates the region's growing unease about Iran's ambitions and abilities. Gen. David Petraeus told the Institute for the Study of War in Washington on Jan. 22 that the acceleration of defensive systems included "eight Patriot missile batteries, two in each of four countries." Petraeus also said the U.S. was now keeping Aegis cruisers on patrol in the Persian Gulf at all times, equipped with anti-missile systems designed to intercept medium-range missiles.
2010-02-01 09:52:54
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