U.S. adds dozens of Marines to guard embassies in Israel, Turkey, Jordan
Dozens of Marines have been added to the security details in Israel, Jordan and Turkey and may be added to U.S.embassies in seven other countries.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. has added dozens of Marines to the security details at embassies in Jordan, Israel and Turkey because of concerns about unrest linked to the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, according to five U.S. defense officials.
The officials say the State Department and the Pentagon are also considering more U.S. military security at embassies in a half dozen other countries in the Middle East with histories of large-scale demonstrations, like Lebanon, Egypt and Pakistan.
Marines are already on the ground and providing additional security to the embassies in Jordan, Israel and Turkey.
The increase at each location is modest — not dozens at any single embassy but not single digits, according to three of the officials.
The State Department issued a new security message for Turkey on May 11, but has not issued any new travel advisories or security messages for Israel or Jordan. A State Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
There is no timeline for how long the additional security forces will be in the region but one U.S. defense official said they will be there "until security conditions on the ground improve."
Dozens of protestors have died in demonstrations in Gaza in the lead-up to the official and controversial opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem Monday. The U.S. relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv. It is now the only country with its main embassy rather than a consulate in Jerusalem.
The request for additional Marines was made last week by the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service requested. The Marines were supplied by the Marine Security Guard Augmentation Unit (MSAU) in Quantico, Virginia, which has about 120 Marine security guards who can be detailed to increase protection for embassies in the Middle East.
In a statement, Marine Corps spokesperson Capt. Ryan E. Alvis said, "A number of Marines from the Marine Security Guard Security Augmentation Unit (MSAU) have been requested to augment a number of embassies in light of current events. The exact locations and/or number of Marines will not be released. These Marines, assigned to the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, headquartered at Quantico, Va., are uniquely postured to respond expeditiously to augment embassies at the request of the State Department. All Marines who comprise the MSAU have served as Marine Corps Security Guards in the past and receive specialized training. While augmenting embassy security, Marines will serve under the authority of the embassy's ambassador or chief of mission."
Should a situation require yet more forces, the Marine Corps also has anti-terrorism FAST companies in the region and an expeditionary unit, the 26th MEU, aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima.
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I am hopeful that more forces will not be needed ... yet I am thankful that precautions are being taken to protect our fellow Americans that are working and serving in these at risk locations in the ME...
Peace...
I hope this added cost is figured into cost of the new embassy
I do not think either party in our Federal Government pays attention to the deficit any longer ... like it is some kind of arbitrary thing that fluctuates in the wind....
Nope. Active duty Marines are paid via DoD budget.
right, but they could have been doing other things so the embassy move has costs that won't show up
You mean fighting in that Iraq war Obama "ended"? Or how about we let them do their job protecting US assets like they are tasked to do at these embassies.
I hope what happened in to our embassy in Lebanon in 1983 doesn't happen again in the ME...
Of course that was followed by the suicide bombing of the Marine Corps barracks and the French Paratrooper barracks a few month later.
Yep, we don't want to offend any murderous Muslims
What in the world are you babbling about. I didn't say anything of the sort and only pointed out a FACT.
So, increased security with additional Marines. A good idea. At least the GOP congress IS NOT cutting Embassy Security funding for Trump like they did for Obama.
A good idea to do this. Regardless of the cost, saving American lives must be the priority.
Although IMO, it would've been an even better idea to close these embassies entirely and evacuate staff. No, not forever, but just for 2 or 3 days ...
After a few days of demonstrating in front of empty building the protesters might decide to cool it a bit-- or at least go elsewhere...maybe, for example, stepping up their destruction of the Gaza border crossing with Israel from which they get all the supplies Israel keeps sending them).
IMO this wouldn't turn out well as it would allow demonstrators (if they got riled up enough) to enter, loot, burn and otherwise destroy the buildings. At a minimum a sufficient guard force would have to remain.
So far Israel has murdered over 50 Palestinians and wounded almost 2000 who were protesting our Glorious Leader's decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem.
No murders. Just defending their sovereignty. Maybe the barbarians should have stayed home.