{"id":50780,"date":"2019-05-14T21:21:34","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T21:21:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/14\/pentagon-disputes-british-generals-assessment-on-iranian-threat\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:05:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:05:11","slug":"pentagon-disputes-british-generals-assessment-on-iranian-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/05\/14\/pentagon-disputes-british-generals-assessment-on-iranian-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon disputes British general\u2019s assessment on Iranian threat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

U.S. Central Command raised the threat level in Iraq and Syria<\/a> on Tuesday, rebuking comments from a top British general that Iranian-backed fighters do not pose an increased risk to coalition forces fighting the Islamic State<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria,” British Army Maj. Gen. Christopher Ghika, a deputy commander with the Operation Inherent Resolve coalition, said Tuesday during a video briefing from Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ghika added that the measures in place to protect U.S. and coalition forces were \u201ccompletely satisfactorily,\u201d and said that the coalition\u2019s leadership does not \u201cintend to change them.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the hours following Ghika\u2019s press briefing, CENTCOM announced that the threat level was increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRecent comments from OIR\u2019s Deputy Commander run counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence from U.S. and allies regarding Iranian-backed forces in the region,” said Capt. Bill Urban, CENTCOM\u2019s lead spokesman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cU.S. Central Command, in coordination with Operation Inherent Resolve, has increased the force posture level for all service members assigned to OIR in Iraq and Syria,” Urban added. \u201cOIR is now at a high level of alert as we continue to closely monitor credible and possibly imminent threats to U.S. forces in Iraq.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The comments from the international coalition\u2019s deputy commander were at odds with warnings from the White House and the Pentagon over the past week used to justify a military build-up in the region<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some worry the U.S. is unnecessarily ratcheting up tensions as part of a pressure campaign against Iran that also involves economic sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
British Army Maj. Gen. Christopher Ghika, deputy commander for Strategy and Information Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, speaks before a gathering of coalition forces in Baghdad on Nov. 11, 2018. (Sgt. Phillip McTaggart\/Army)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The warnings were followed by the deployment of a B-52 bomber task force<\/a>, one Patriot missile defense <\/a>battery and an amphibious transport dock<\/a> to the region. An aircraft carrier strike group <\/a>was also ordered to the region early, skipping a port of call in Croatia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I concerned about the danger: no, not really,” Ghika said of the alleged Iranian threats. “We take a range of force protection measures for operating in this part of the world against a whole range of threats, and we review them regularly. We\u2019ve reviewed them, obviously, in light of the events in the last week or so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ghika said that his assessment was not at odds with that of the U.S. government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s a difference here at all,” Ghika said, adding that Inherent Resolve is not operating against Iran and that he would only speak to the threat of Iranian-backed militias. “I\u2019m not going to go into the detail of it, but there are a substantial number of militia groups in Iraq and Syria and we don\u2019t see any increased threat from any of them at this stage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t