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Release
Immediate Release

Statement by Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper

Dec. 6, 2019

As the Department has stated repeatedly, we were never discussing or considering sending 14,000 additional troops to the Middle East. Reports of this are flat out wrong. DOD will always stand ready to respond to future actions by our adversaries if and when they arise, but the Pentagon is not considering sending 14,000 troops to CENTCOM. This report is false.

Esper Defense Secretary