Biden wants to build a temporary pier to bring aid to Gaza. The first step for US military intervention
Independent journalist and political commentator Michael Tracey said President Biden's order for the US military to establish a temporary port on the Gaza coast to begin seaborne deliveries of humanitarian aid will show a greater direct commitment from the Pentagon to the conflict between Israelis and Hamas and will be the first step to put "Boots on the field"
Biden says Israel is going to provide security for the US military port in Gaza. This would make the US an open co-administrator of Israel's military operation pic.twitter.com/qjLP1qeT0N
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) March 8, 2024
While Biden stressed in his State of the Union address on Thursday evening that there will be no direct intervention in Gaza, he told reporters the next day that "the Israelis" will ensure the security of the planned port, given that it is located in an area of war. Tracey noted that “This would make the United States an open co-administrator of Israel's military operation.”
Also on Friday, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder asked a reporter whether the Pentagon believes Hamas militants will target American forces operating offshore. Notably, Ryder responded by saying this is “certainly possible” – fully acknowledging the risk to US forces and assets conducting the operation.
Ryder added that “if Hamas truly cares about the Palestinian people, then… hopefully this international mission to deliver aid to people who need it can go ahead without hindrance.”
And Tracey later said that this equates to a significant US military presence in an active war zone abroad…
Clever how it's not about "boots on the ground", but about "Boots in the water" (it would be better to put galoches), but within the same war zone.
Indeed, according to new details, the construction of a floating dock that will form the basis of an aid port in Gaza will require about 1,000 US Army troops and is expected to take two months. The dock will be built aboard U.S. Navy ships in the Mediterranean.
The US military said on Friday that Biden's plan would deliver around two million vehicles a day, at a time when much of the population is facing famine. Previous US airdrops have come under criticism, with international aid groups saying supplies are insufficient and that the method is highly dangerous for bystanders on the ground, as there have already been casualties from the failure to open parachutes.
Here are more details on the ambitious pier and port project, provided by the Washington Post :
US troops, including the Virginia-based 7th Army Transportation Brigade, will take part in the effort. The operation will include the construction of a floating dock at sea that will allow ships to deliver supplies, which will then be loaded onto Navy support ships and offloaded onto a floating causeway.
The two-lane causeway, about 1,800 feet (600 meters) long, will be driven over a ground anchor area and secured to the ground by non-U.S. personnel whom Ryder did not identify. The trucks will then access the causeway to pick up and transport the aid.
An undertaking of this magnitude taking place within walking distance of Gaza, at a time of continuous and ferocious fighting, is clearly high risk in terms of protecting American troops and assets, who should not be involved in the war.
Notably, as of Saturday, the Times of Israel reported that “Israeli officials have not yet confirmed that Israel will be responsible for port security, although they welcomed Biden's announcement of the maritime aid corridor.” Why would they do that? If they wanted, it would be enough for them to open the passage with Egypt rather. They could land the aid directly in Israel and accompany it to Gaza.
If Israel does not agree to provide security, it is very likely that the White House will have to abandon the plan altogether, otherwise we should see American soldiers truly "With boots on the field" and not only to anchor the pier, but also to guarantee its security. safety. But the United States has continued to put Tel Aviv under pressure on the humanitarian side of the war, following reports that more than 30,000 civilians have been killed in Gaza. Biden was caught at the microphone on Thursday evening saying he would have a “definitive” conversation (American slang for “With Jesus”) with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His unconventional words have sparked an immense controversy also because it is not clear what Biden wants: is he thinking of deploying US troops against Israel?
In short, as always US politics is a big mess.
Thanks to our Telegram channel you can stay updated on the publication of new Economic Scenarios articles.
The article Biden wants to build a temporary pier to bring aid to Gaza. The first step for US military intervention comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/biden-vuole-costruire-un-molo-temporaneo-per-portare-gli-aiuti-i-gaza-il-primo-passo-per-lintervento-militare-usa/ on Sun, 10 Mar 2024 20:05:46 +0000.