Hundreds of troops deployed to Iraq to defend US embassy
The US is scheduled to deploy 750 new troops to defend the US embassy in Iraq, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday night, following protests by Iran-backed groups that marched on the compound in retaliation for US strikes Sunday that killed 25 Kataeb Hezbollah fighters.
Protestors had retreated by Tuesday night but set up tents near the compound that seemed to portend another day of protests after storming the US embassy earlier in the day and chanting "death to America" and "death to Israel."
"I want to have peace; I like peace. And Iran should want peace more than anybody," President Trump said on New Year's Eve in light of what seemed an imminent flare-up with Iran. "[But] I don’t see that happening. No, I don’t think Iran would want that to happen."...