JUDY WOODRUFF: Today, the Trump administration
took two significant steps to counter what
it says is an escalated threat from Iran.
The U.S. will deploy additional troops and
military equipment to the Middle East.
And the administration went around Congress
to sell additional arms to Saudi Arabia.
To put these moves into context, I'm joined
by our Nick Schifrin.
So, hello, Nick.
First of all, what are they talking about
deploying?
NICK SCHIFRIN: They're talking about 1,500
additional troops in four categories, an additional
fighter squadron to the Middle East, extending
the deployment of a Patriot missile battery
that's already in the region, increasing intelligence
surveillance and reconnaissance.
It's things like drones to monitor Iran and
its proxies.
And engineers to strengthen bases in the region.
And defense officials I talk to say, they
looked around the region, and they say they're
actually at a lower posture than they were
a few years ago, and that Iran has some advantages
in the region.
So they felt like they had to reinforce.
And they insist that this is defensive, that
they are responding to Iranian actions, and
that their goal is not to fight Iran, but
instead to get Iran back to the negotiating
table.
And you talked with Senator Tim Cotton of
Arkansas -- Tom Cotton -- sorry -- of Arkansas
just a few minutes ago.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Right.
NICK SCHIFRIN: And he echoed that statement.
SEN.
TOM COTTON (R-AR): I believe it's the right
steps to increase our force posture in the
Middle East.
The intelligence coming from the Middle East
and the rising threat that Iran might take
imminent action against U.S. personnel or
a facility has been compelling.
NICK SCHIFRIN: So that is the argument by
people like Tom Cotton and the Pentagon.
What Iran says is that this is not defensive.
A fighter squadron, they say, is not defensive.
And Iran -- and also congressional Democrats
are saying that this is unnecessary and increases
the chances of some kind of conflict.
JUDY WOODRUFF: So, clearly, Nick, there have
been questions about, what's the intelligence?
What's the provocation here?
What did the administration say today about
what actions Iran has taken that they're responding
to?
NICK SCHIFRIN: Right.
They went further today than they had.
And they actually said that recent attacks
by Iran in the Middle East -- quote -- "stems
back to the leadership of Iran at the highest
level."
So they are accusing Iran's leaders of attacking
U.S. allies in the region over the last two
weeks.
Democrats have said, well, wait a minute,
we actually have seen some of that intelligence.
We're not sure it says exactly what you think
it does.
And some Democrats are even saying, hey, this
sounds like 2003.
This sounds like the run-up of the war to
Iraq, when, of course, the intelligence turned
out to be bogus.
And we challenged the Pentagon that.
The reporters who were in the room said, hey,
wait a minute, prove all of this intelligence
is the case.
And listen to what the director of the Joint
Staff, Vice Admiral Michael Gilday, had to
say.
QUESTION: What do you have to backup your
case?
VICE ADM.
MICHAEL GILDAY, Joint Chiefs of Staff: I'm
not reverse-engineering this.
The Iranians -- the Iranians have said publicly
they were going to do things.
We learn more through intelligence reporting.
They have acted upon those threats.
NICK SCHIFRIN: And so that's what they said.
When we asked them, can we have some more
intelligence, they said, no, that would imperil
their sources and methods.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Very interesting.
So all this on the same day, Nick, as the
administration announces it is selling more
arms to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates
and Jordan.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Right.
So these are arms sales that had been blocked
for months by the top Democrat on the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez
of New Jersey.
What he had said is that he was worried that
Saudi Arabia would use these weapons in Yemen.
Yemen, there are Houthi rebels who are fighting
Saudi Arabia and backed by Iran, but there
are also tens of thousands of civilians who
have been caught up in that war and who have
been casualties in that war, mostly because
of these bombs dropped by the Saudi-led coalition.
Now, what Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said
today, he said, no, there's an emergency and
that we had to -- quote -- "deter the malign
influence of Iran," go around that block and
sell these arms to Congress.
Those who support these sales say, look, if
we sell these weapons to Saudi Arabia, they
will get better at targeting their targets
in Yemen, and therefore will avoid civilian
casualties.
But the critics say, wait a minute, Saudi
Arabia has already had these weapons.
We're just replenishing more of them, and
more civilians will die.
And that's what we saw from Senator Chris
Murphy of Connecticut in a statement this
afternoon.
He said: "President Trump is only using this
loophole because he knows Congress would disapprove
of the sale.
There is no new emergency reason to sell bombs
to the Saudis to drop in Yemen.
And doing so will only perpetuate the humanitarian
crisis there."
And he added: "This sets an incredibly dangerous
precedent that future presidents can use to
sell weapons without a check from Congress."
So, bottom line, we see two decisions, deployments
to the Middle East and also arms sales from
offices, by the way, that aren't not usually
coordinated, and that are not connected.
But the administration made these two announcements
almost simultaneously to make the point, we
are going to continue to confront Iran.
They say it's effective deterrence.
Critics say this is going to increase the
chances of conflict.
JUDY WOODRUFF: But going around normal congressional
prerogative in order to do this.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Absolutely.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Nick Schifrin, thank you.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you.
