sputniknews | Eagle Resolve will involve tactical exercises from the US Army,
Marines, and various other military branches to test readiness in air
defense, border security, counterterrorism, as well as "consequence
management." These include amphibious landing exercises and ship-based
search and seizure operations.
Officials insist that the exercise has been in the planning stages
for the last 14 months, and has nothing to do with the Iranian nuclear
negotiations.
"The exercise is not intended as a signal to Iran," a CENTCOM
official said, according to the Free Beacon. "If there’s any message
at all, it’s that all participants have a common interest in regional
security."
"It’s important to point out that this is a recurring exercise,
with planning for this year’s exercise beginning over a year ago," the
official added. "The focus of the exercise is on bolstering capabilities
useful in a wide range of scenarios to help preserve and bolster
regional security, with simulated portions of the exercise based on a
fictional adversary."
Still, it’s hard to ignore which nation that “fictional adversary”
may be in reference to. On Saturday, former CIA Director General David
Petraeus called Iran the greatest long-term threat to stability in the
region.
"I
would argue that the foremost threat to Iraq’s long-term stability and
the broader regional equilibrium is not the Islamic State; rather, it is
Shiite militias, many backed by – and some guided by – Iran," he told
the Washington Post.
It’s a view echoed by many US lawmakers and military officials. Given
that the deadline for a framework deal on the controversial nuclear
negotiations is fast approaching, it’s hard to ignore the potential
message of a large-scale military exercise.
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