Mark Esper
Mark Esper is the 27th US Secretary of Defense. Esper was nominated by President Donald Trump on July 15, 2019, and confirmed and sworn in on July 23, 2019. Previously he was Secretary of the Army from 2017 to 2019. Esper replaced Patrick M. Shanahan as acting defense secretary and James Mattis as defense secretary.
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Dec- 2019 -17 DecemberAsia Pacific
Esper wants to cut US troop numbers in Afghanistan to focus on China
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he wants to reduce the number of US troops in Afghanistan to give higher priority to competition with China
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6 DecemberMiddle East
Esper says US pullback from parts of northeast Syria complete
The US has completed a pullback of forces from contested areas of northeast Syria, Defense Secretary Esper told Reuters on Wednesday
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Nov- 2019 -15 NovemberBusiness
Esper says $10bn Pentagon JEDI contract awarded fairly after Amazon claims ‘bias’
The U.S. Defense Secretary said a $10 billion cloud computing contract was awarded to Microsoft fairly after Amazon alleged "bias" in the process
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Oct- 2019 -28 OctoberMiddle East
US to keep Deir Ezzor oilfields out of Syrian government hands, Esper says
US deployment to Syria's oilfields is aimed in part at denying them to Russia and the Syrian government, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said
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24 OctoberMiddle East
NATO defense ministers criticize Turkey’s northern Syria incursion
NATO defense ministers slammed Turkey's military operation in Syria but recognized they have few options to sanction the strategic ally
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21 OctoberMiddle East
US may leave troops to protect eastern Syria oil fields, Esper says
Some US forces could remain in eastern Syria to secure oil fields controlled by the SDF, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said
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13 OctoberMiddle East
US to withdraw 1,000 troops from northern Syria, Esper says
The US will pull back another 1,000 troops from northeast Syria as the risk of confrontation with Turkey-backed fighters increases, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said
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11 OctoberMiddle East
US to deploy additional troops, Patriot batteries and THAAD system to Saudi Arabia
The Pentagon will deploy additional troops and equipment to Saudi Arabia and US Central Command amid tensions with Iran
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11 OctoberMiddle East
Female ISIS adherents in Syria’s al-Hol camp attack security forces
Members of the Kurdish Asayish security force were attacked by women in a camp housing foreign female ISIS adherents
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Sep- 2019 -27 SeptemberMiddle East
US to deploy new Patriot missile battery, 4 Sentinel radars to Saudi Arabia
The US will deploy a new Patriot missile battery and four Sentinel radar systems to Saudi Arabia in response to attacks on oil facilities
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