Volume 78, No. 112B ©SS 2019 CONTINGENCY EDITION SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas ANALYSIS Saudi Arabia’s On the defensive ability to fight Iran uncertain Pentagon sending more troops to Middle East BY NABIH BULOS Los Angeles Times BAGHDAD — In the days after in wake of attack on Saudi oil facilities the Sept. 14 attack on Saudi Ara- bia’s oil facilities, the kingdom’s leaders and officials have kept hammering one message: Saudi Arabia is willing and able to re- spond to Iran. But can it? Beyond the strident rhetoric from U.S. officials, and a steady drip of information that falls short of directly blaming Tehran, Riyadh faces a U.S. president re- luctant to go to war on its behalf. Its regional allies, including its top partner in the United Arab Emirates, appear to have little appetite for military adventures, especially after a bruising, four- year-and-counting quagmire against Iran-backed Houthi reb- els in Yemen. That means Saudi Arabia would have to go to war on its own, just as serious questions are being raised about how effective its forces — and their vaunted Amer- ican-made defenses — would be in a fight against Iran. On Sept. 14, 25 drones and cruise missiles, according to Saudi defense officials, traveled hundreds of miles from the north and slammed into critical facili- ties in Khurais and Abqaiq, the world’s largest oil processing plant, some 200 miles northeast of Riyadh. The strike knocked out BY COREY DICKSTEIN ‘ half of the kingdom’s crude pro- AND CAITLIN M. KENNEY As the president has made clear, the United States does duction, a palpable hit compared Stars and Stripes not seek conflict with Iran. That said, we have many other with the Houthis’ usual gadfly WASHINGTON military options available should they be necessary. attacks on airports and facilities he Pentagon will deploy additional near the Saudi-Yemeni border. Mark’ Esper air defense forces to the Middle Despite the Houthis’ claim of East due to a “significant escala- defense secretary responsibility, both Saudi Arabia T tion of violence” by Iran, Defense and the U.S. insist the level of Secretary Mark Esper said Friday. expertise, not to mention the dis- Esper said intelligence clearly indicated the added troops as “defensive in nature” made the announcement of President Don- tance from Houthi-held territory Iran was responsible for a drone and cruise and said they primarily would provide addi- ald Trump’s decision to deploy new forces in Yemen, indicated the hand of missile attack Sept. 14 on two key Saudi Ara- tional air and missile defense capabilities. to the Middle East late Friday in a rare Iran. bian oil facilities, which made significant Esper and Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, Though the damage was lim- impact on the global market. He described the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, SEE DEFENSIVE ON PAGE 6 ited (oil production will return to capacity by the end of September, Riyadh said), Saudi commenta- A security guard stands alert in front of Aramco’s oil processing facility during a trip organized by the Saudi information ministry tors have likened the attack to after the Sept. 14 attack on the facility in Abqaiq, near Dammam in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province, on Friday. Pearl Harbor or 9/11 and have demanded retaliation. AMR NABIL/AP SEE UNCERTAIN ON PAGE 6 MILITARY MILITARY VIDEO GAMES 13 Marines charged VA: Veteran suicide Latest ‘Gears’ shining after probe of human rate at 17 per day example of ‘Triple-A’ smuggling operation after recalculation game development Page 2 Page 3 Page 15 Patriots cut controversial WR Brown » NFL, Page 30 PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Sunday, September 22, 2019 MILITARY 13 Marines charged in human smuggling probe BY ROSE L. THAYER allegations of transporting or conspiring to Salazar-Quintero on July 3 for attempt- dangerment offenses and a general article, Stars and Stripes transport undocumented immigrants. ing to smuggle three people from Mexico according to the new release. Two of the charged Marines — Lance across the U.S. border. Aside from federal The remaining 10 Marines facing charg- Thirteen Marines suspected of par- Cpls. Byron D. Law and David J. Salazar- human smuggling charges in the U.S. Dis- es are members of 1st Battalion, 5th Ma- ticipating in human smuggling operations Quintero, both members of 1st Battalion, trict Court for the Southern District of Cal- rine Regiment, and were detained by Naval were formally charged after spending 5th Marine Regiment — were named in ifornia, both Marines now face a general Criminal Investigative Service during the nearly two months detained at Camp Pend- the news release because they face simi- article charge from the Marine Corps. July morning formation. The charges for leton, Calif., officials announced Friday. lar charges in the federal court system. During the investigation into Law and that group include one Marine charged The charges against the Marines — all The remaining Marines charged will face Salazar-Quintero, officials discovered with drunkenness, one Marine with perju- of whom are lance corporals serving in Article 32 hearings, which is an investiga- other Marines were involved in illegal ry, five charged with a general article and two battalions of the 1st Marine Divi- tive hearing to determine whether charges activity and on July 25, 16 Marines were one charged with failure to obey an order, sion — vary, but include larceny, perjury, against a servicemember warrant a court- detained during morning formation, ac- larceny and a general article. drunkenness and failure to obey an order, martial. The Marines will be named if the cording to information previously released None of the Marines arrested or de- according to a news release from the 1st charges lead to a court-martial, said Maj. by the division. tained for questioning served in support of Marine Division. Some of the Marines also Kendra Motz, a division spokeswoman. One Marine with 1st Battalion, 1st Ma- the military mission along the U.S.-Mexico face a general article charge, a catch-all vi- The criminal activity within the division rine Regiment, who was detained by bor- border, according to the release. olation of the Uniformed Code of Military came to light when U.S. Customs and Bor- der patrol personnel on July 10, has been [email protected] Justice that for this investigation relates to der Protection agents arrested Law and charged with failure to obey an order, en- Twitter: @Rose_Lori Army Ranger, Fort Riley soldier win Army Ten-Miler at Bagram BY J.P. LAWRENCE Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade Stars and Stripes out of Fort Riley, Kan. About 300 runners participated in the BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan race, one of several official shadow runs — One of the first female graduates of the of the Army Ten-Miler, held in October in Army Ranger School won the women’s Washington, D.C. race at Bagram’s Army Ten-Miler shad- Shadow runs are held at military instal- ow run while a Fort Riley-based soldier lations, camps, forward operating bases took the top podium spot in the men’s and other overseas locations linked to the race Friday. armed forces and must be approved by Army Capt. Shaye Haver of Copperas the organizers of the Washington race. Cove, Texas, ran a 7-minute, 42-seconds “It’s a great experience to offer a Shad- pace to cross the line in 1 hour, 17 min- utes for the women’s win, 10 minutes ow Run here in Bagram to provide those behind the overall winner, Spc. Joseph same opportunities (to run an Army Schow, the official results show. Ten-Miler) to those deployed,” said Don The race began early in the morning at Baumgartner, Morale, Welfare and Rec- the base’s clamshell recreation building, reation director at Bagram. “We had a with a path curving along Bagram’s pe- few hundred people participate, and ev- rimeter road. eryone who started the run had a goal of Haver is one of the first women, along finishing no matter how tired or sore they were going to be at the end, and they all with Capt. Kristen Griest, to graduate Courtesy of Area Support Group — Afghanistan from the U.S. Army Ranger School in finished and can say, ‘I did it.’ ” 2015. [email protected] Army Capt. Shaye Haver of Copperas Cove, Texas, won first place among women at the Schow is listed as a soldier with the 1st Twitter: @jplawrence3 Army Ten-Miler event at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan on Friday. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ............ 14 Books .............................. 18 Business .......................... 22 Health & Fitness ...............16 Opinion ............................ 21 Sports .........................24-32 Video Games .....................15 Weather ........................... 22 Sunday, September 22, 2019 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 3 MILITARY VA: Veteran suicide rate recalculated to 17 per day BY NIKKI WENTLING “This change was necessary population, firearms were used Stars and Stripes because these groups are unique in 48% of suicides. and do not all qualify for the same The highest suicide rate was WASHINGTON — The De- benefits and services, therefore among younger veterans, ages 18 partment of Veterans Affairs has they require individualized out- to 34. In 2017, there were 44.5 sui- altered how it calculates the aver- reach strategies,” the VA said in cides for every 100,000 veterans age number of veteran suicides a statement. in that age group. each day, meaning the 20-per- It was revea led last year that the While younger veterans ac- day statistic — widely known and 20-per-day statistic was misun- count for the highest rate of often cited by elected officials derstood and included the deaths suicide, older veterans had the — has changed to 17.