© Ryan D. McLearnon / ReutersNimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
Deployment of a second US air carrier in the Mediterranean has been called to deter a Russian task force deployed in the region, a US official told the
Wall Street Journal. "It provides some
needed presence in the Med to check...the Russians," a military official in Washington told the
WSJ. "The unpredictability of what we did with Truman
kind of makes them think twice," he said, noting that the
new deployment demonstrates that the US Navy can be agile and adaptive.
Earlier this week, the highest-ranking officer on the USS Harry S. Truman carrier, Rear Adm. Bret Batchelder, told reporters visiting the carrier:
"It is a demonstration of capability. That's for sure. There are undoubtedly folks who are watching that and
this is just a graphic representation of what we're capable of," Batchelder said.
The US military presence in the Mediterranean has been boosted even further ahead of a NATO summit in Warsaw.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group will allegedly support "US national security interests in Europe." "The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKE CSG) entered the US 6th Fleet area of operations today in
support of US national security interests in Europe," the US European Command (EUCOM) has announced. The Eisenhower's strike group also includes its
air wing, guided-missile cruisers San Jacinto and Monterey and a destroyer squadron with associated guided-missile destroyers Roosevelt, Mason, Nitze and Stout.The carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is to
take the place of the USS Harry S. Truman that will head back to the United States, finishing its eight-month mission, Navy officials on board the Truman said, according to Reuters. In June, however, both carriers will be stationed in the Mediterranean simultaneously.
Washington claims that the increased military presence is aimed at fighting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and balancing Russian extensive military efforts.
Comment: These are the statements released for public consumption. You can bet the private talks went into a lot more detail. Basically, Iran, Syria, and Russia are saying they are committed to not only defeating terrorism in Syria, but in the wider region as well. The U.S. and their terror proxies had their chance to 'surrender' peacefully and save face in public. They chose their destiny, which looks to be total destruction. How will this play out? Impossible to say, but Ziad Fadel predicts a massive infusion of Iranian troops into Syria and a reinvigorated Russian air campaign. We'll have to wait and see!