Mike Levin: “Access to scarce fresh water is likely to be a cause of future military conflicts in the Middle East and has a direct…”

“Access to scarce fresh water is likely to be a cause of future military conflicts in the Middle East and has a direct impact on stability and security in the region. The Middle East is an area of vital and strategic importance to the United States. The United States has played a military role in the Middle East, most recently in the Persian Gulf War, and may likely be called upon again to deter aggression in the region. United States troops have used desalting technologies to guarantee the availability of fresh water in past deployments in the Middle East. Adequate, efficient, and cheap access to high-quality fresh water will be vital to maintaining their readiness and sustainability of United States troops, and those of our allies.”