Pentagon chief plans to shift US focus to military competition with China and Russia despite Middle East threat

Defence Secretary Mark Esper said Saturday he still plans to shift the American military’s focus to competing with China and Russia, even as security threats pile up in the Middle East.

Esper outlined his strategic goals and priorities in a speech at the Reagan National Defence Forum, an annual gathering of government, defence industry and military officials.

Esper, who became Pentagon chief in late July, said he is sticking to the national defence priorities set by his predecessor, James Mattis, who was sitting in his audience at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Since Mattis resigned one year ago in protest of President Donald Trump’s push to withdraw from Syria, the Middle East has become even more volatile. At least 14,000 additional US troops have been sent to the Persian Gulf area since May out of concern about Iranian actions.

Syria itself has arguably become a more complex problem for Washington, with Turkish forces having moved into areas in the north where American forces had been partnering with Syrian Kurdish fighters against remnants of the Islamic State extremist group. Also, Iraq is facing civil protests and a violent crackdown by security forces.

The deadly shooting at a Navy base at Pensacola, Florida, on Friday by a Saudi Air Force officer could complicate US-Saudi military relations, although Esper said Friday that relations remain strong.