The United States has cancelled several military exercises abroad out of concern that American troops would be subject to attacks, reported the Middle East Newsline.
US defense officials acknowledged that the Pentagon had cancelled the Noble Shirley exercise in Israel, said the news service, adding that the exercise was to have been held in July and was to have included US Marines.
The exercise was cancelled amid the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the officials said.
But they said a key reason was the fear that Palestinians would “launch an attack on any of the thousands of marines during their month-long stay in Israel.”
Pentagon officials said the exercise was one of several cancelled over the last year out of concern that American troops would be placed in danger, according to the news service.
The officials did not list the other exercises cancelled.
A key question is whether the United States will participate in the huge Bright Star exercise in Egypt. The biannual exercise, expected to take place next year, would include more than 50,000 troops from Western countries, added the news service – Albawaba.com
