Professor Lawrence Brennan is quoted in a Washington Post article discussing the administration’s decision to deploy an aircraft carrier and Air Force bombers to counter Iranian threats.
The proposal to send the USS Abraham Lincoln and its associated escort ships and Air Force bombers to the region originated with U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the region, a defense official said. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.
Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, who recently took over leadership of Centcom, has visited the Middle East several times recently. McKenzie submitted the request Sunday, and it was approved by Shanahan, the official said.
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Bolton’s statement also cited the future deployment of Air Force bombers, which have been in and out of the Middle East for years and were deeply involved in the U.S.-led military campaign against the Islamic State. A U.S. defense official said the Defense Department is now working with the Air Force to determine which planes and people will deploy.Lawrence Brennan, a retired Navy captain and adjunct professor at Fordham University, said that while the deployment of the Lincoln “should be routine,” the announcement of a threat against U.S. forces “is the big difference.”
“I don’t know the source of that intelligence or the true nature of that perceived threat,” he said.