U.S. Sending Armored Vehicles Into Syria To Protect Oil Fields Pentagon Chief Confirms

(Politico) WESLEY MORGAN 10/25/2019 10:24 AM The Pentagon plans to use armored vehicles to defend northeastern Syrias oil fields from attack by Islamic State fighters Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirmed today minutes after President Donald Trump tweeted that the troops are coming home. We are reinforcing that position. It will include some mechanized forces" Esper said at a press conference at NATO Headquarters in Brussels when asked about the new stay-behind force Trump authorized this week. Im not going to get into the details but the mission in Syria remains what the mission in Syria began with. Its always been about defeating … ISIS" Esper said. That is the core mission." Trump made no mention this morning of the troops that were staying behind. Our soldiers have left and are leaving Syria for other places then ... COMING HOME! he wrote. Some reports have said the U.S. is deploying tanks. But the military typically refers to units equipped with Bradley fighting vehicles as mechanized forces and to units with Abrams tanks as armored forces. It wasnt clear from Espers remarks how many troops would stay at the oil fields or what types of vehicles will be sent in but an Army brigade in Kuwait is outfitted with both Bradleys and tanks. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that as many as 500 troops could be staying in Syria.