The Pentagon has selected 2,000 troops to prepare for a potential deployment to support Israel, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
Pentagon officials told the paper that the troops would be tasked with missions like advising and medical support and are not intended to serve a combat role. The personnel that have been selected are from across the US armed services, and some are already in the Middle East while others are outside the region.
The Associated Press also reported that the US is preparing for the potential deployment. One official told the AP that they would “not be sent to Israel but could be sent to countries in the region.”
It’s not clear what circumstances would lead to the deployment, but the prepare to deploy notice comes as Israel continues to bombard the Gaza Strip and is expected to launch a ground incursion. An Israeli military spokesman said Sunday that Israeli forces were “in formation” to launch an attack on Gaza City.
POLITICO reported last week that the US decided not to send troops into Gaza to rescue hostages. But the report said the issue could be revised, and the idea of the US military entering the besieged enclave has not been ruled out.
While not committing to sending troops into Gaza, the US has offered Israel intelligence and other types of support for a potential rescue operation. The US has also deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups into the region and sent new military aid, demonstrating Washington’s strong support for the onslaught in Gaza.
Theater. There’s nothing Israel needs that 2,000 noncombatant US troops could provide.
Anyway, the two carrier strike groups already committed have staffing totals somewhere around 15K-16K — and all those aircraft, guided missiles of various kinds, etc.
Yeah… but it is very bad tragic theater. An admission that the US is Israel’s b**ch. Putting US people in harm’s way and then if and when some are killed?
Yeah, well, no one who has been paying even slight attention didn’t already know about Israel’s influence on US policy. The whole world knows.
I don’t think the possibility of American casualties is something US leaders would worry about. If Americans are hurt or killed, it would probably enhance public support for administration policy.
Biden’s poles are up.Thats it.
I think those carrier groups might be in case of Syria & Lebanon getting involved. Israel doesn’t have the ammunition for taking on both Hezbollah & all those Shia militias from Iraq that are waiting in Syria for the opportunity to fight the Zionists.
I don’t think the Lebanese government has any interest in fighting Israel. And Syrian national forces are rather preoccupied.
Hezbollah, on the other hand . . .
It’s difficult to imagine any action those carrier task forces could take that wouldn’t make things worse and increase the chances of a regional war.
Here’s an idea- send the US troops in first to evacuate the civilians, then let the IDF invade. (sarcasm alert)
Don’t give the potato in chief any ideas.
The ultimate nightmare, the rise of united Islam in righteous intifada, the very thing the 1995 Neocon paper, “Clean Break”, with all its subsequent ‘anti-terrorist’ wars fracturing the ME and N. Africa, was designed to preclude, is about to happen. The brave godsped IDF is using phosphorous now, and likely contemplating tactical nukes to warn off Hezbollah et al..
Nothing wrong with tactical nukes and WP
Coming from a guy who calls Iran “terrorists”.
Those nukes still have radiation and will contaminate Israel as well. Israel should be worried about a dirty bomb that can contaminate the region for hundreds of years. Cobalt bombs are easy to make with what Iran has right now.
” Cobalt bombs are easy to make” No they are not. First a hydrogen bomb is needed and that not so easy to build. Iran is not any near that level. Second, the contamination from a Cobalt bomb has a 1/2 life of 5.2 years so the contamination does not last 100 years. Short term very bad, but long term no. In fact in 100 years only 1 million of the radiation will still exists. To be exact it will be .0019 %
Ok, didn’t know that.
Come on Jake, you know nukes are bad for lots of reasons.
Israel will not use nukes unless their very existence is threaten. Hezbollah and Hamas combined forces could not take and hold a single acre of Israel.
But, Biden said, ‘no boots on the ground.’ Think we’ve heard that one before, how many times is that now.
I agree. I never liked that expression. One never knows what the situation will be in future.