From: Mike Claydon U.S. Commander says American Forces Face 'Imminent' Threat from Iran.....
07 June 2019
BAGHDAD — The top commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East says he believes the Iranians or their proxies may orchestrate an attack at any moment.
"I think the threat is imminent," Marine General Frank McKenzie said in an exclusive broadcast interview with NBC News in the Iraqi capital. "We continually evaluate our force posture in the region."
The U.S. has beefed up its military presence in the region in an effort to deter Iran and protect American forces and allies.
McKenzie [pictured above] stressed that tensions remain high.
"I don't actually believe the threat has diminished," McKenzie said after holding a series of meetings with the Iraqi prime minister and defence chief. "...I believe the threat is still very real."
McKenzie said he was "heartened" by the efforts of the Iraqi government to protect American forces and its allies in the region. Roadside bombs have posed the major danger to American forces in Iraq, McKenzie added, but he said the threat from the Iranians is evolving.
"They probe for weakness all the time," McKenzie said. "I would say the threat has probably evolved in certain ways even as our defensive posture has changed and become more aggressive, and we certainly thank our Iraqi partners for many of the things they've done."
"I think we're still in the period of what I would call tactical warning," he said. "The threat is very real. "
China's Xi praises 'best friend' Putin during Russia visit......
Chinese President Xi Jinping has described Russia's Vladimir Putin as his "best friend" during a three-day visit to Moscow focusing on trade and relations between the two countries.
The visit comes as China-US relations have soured over a bitter trade war.
Russia had decided on a pivot to the east years ago after ties worsened with the West over the Ukraine conflict. The two sides have signed a package of trade deals and Mr Xi also unveiled two pandas for the Moscow Zoo.
The Chinese president arrived on Wednesday and later gave a press conference where he said he had a "deep personal friendship" with his Russian counterpart.
"In the past six years, we have met nearly 30 times. Russia is the country that I have visited the most times, and President Putin is my best friend and colleague," Mr Xi said.
Mr Putin echoed the praise saying he was "pleased to say that Russian-Chinese relations have reached an unprecedented level. It is a global partnership and strategic cooperation."
Xi Jinping said he had a "deep personal friendship" with Vladimir Putin
Why are Beijing and Moscow 'best friends'?
The alliance between the two countries has intensified since both Moscow and Beijing feelalienated by Europe and especially the US.
With a shared sense of rejection from the West, Russia and China have hence moved closer together, both in economic and military cooperation, observers say.
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