Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin acknowledged on Tuesday that it was a possibility that the 1,000 US troops deployed off the coast of Gaza as part of a project to build a pier could come under fire and said they would be able to shoot back.
Austin made the comments in an exchange with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) at a House Armed Services Committee hearing. “They have the right to return fire to protect themselves,” Austin said.
When asked if it was likely that US troops would come under attack from someone in Gaza, Austin said, “That’s possible, yes.”
The staging area for the pier has already come under mortar attack. Nobody was hurt in the incident, and only minor damage was reported, but it highlights the risk to the US troops just off the coast of Gaza.
Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups in Gaza view the US as a party to the conflict since it provides most of the bombs Israel has been dropping on Gaza. The US also provides intelligence sharing and strong political support for the slaughter of Palestinians.
Austin insisted there would be no US “boots on the ground” in Gaza, but Gaetz said the pier deployment was not much different than putting troops in the Strip. “I think you’re gonna find the American people have a different perspective on that. And if we’re gonna have people shooting into Gaza, we probably should have a vote on that, pursuant to our war powers,” Gaetz said.
The US is expected to spend at least $320 million on the pier in Gaza. President Biden ordered its construction to allow more aid into the Strip instead of pressuring Israel to open more land border crossings.
Senior US officials told CNN that the pier would be anchored miles off Gaza’s coast and would receive shipments from Cyprus. Then, the aid will be delivered to smaller US Army boats that will take it to a causeway attached to the shore of Gaza, putting US personnel very close to the coast. Trucks driven by an unnamed partner country would pick up the aid and drive it down the 100-meter-long causeway.
The US military published photos of the pier being built on Tuesday, and US officials say they expect it to be operational by next week.
According to a report from The Jerusalem Post, the idea to build the pier actually came from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who proposed it to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in October. A reporter for Israel’s Kan news said last month that during a meeting of the Knessett’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, Netanyahu suggested using the pier to remove Palestinians from Gaza.
They really want to secure and steal those natural gas deposits.
What’s the IDF’s favorite song ?
Onward Christian Soldiers
😱
THEY HAD A PRACTICE RUN IN 1967, REMEMBER THE LIBERTY
That’s ancient history why bring it now? Everything started on October 7, 2023 every one knows that by now.
Everything started in 1948. Occupation. Seventy five years. Blockade. Since 2006. The attack on the U.S.S. Liberty IS NOT ANCIENT HISTORY! If you are American, I suggest you get your passport and get the hell out of here!!!!!! Dammit in hell, 34 Americans died. More than 170 Americans were injured.
Friendly fire incidents are indeed some of the more damaging incidents in war. Only the conspiracy theory nutjobs believe it was Israel plan to sink the boat. Real historians understand that there was zero up side for Israel to attack their number one supporter. Can you provide a plausible reason for Israel to deliberately attack a US vessel with clearly marked IAF aircraft and IDF naval vessels?
By building a pier? They don’t need a pier to do that.
That Pier isn’t just for gas deposit. It acts as a hub for entering and exiting of people as well.
Not Americas fight. FJB and Lloyd J Austin the Turd!
So you are against building the pier?
LOL Who they gonna shoot back at? Some Hamas guy who pops out of a tunnel, plants a rocket and fires it, then dives back into the tunnel long before the US can respond with counter-battery fire? Other than the Hamas rockets, AFAIK Hamas has no long-range weapons. They have close-range anti-vehicle weapons only, and long-range sniper rifles – perfect for killing Israelis but useless for US military on a pier miles at sea.
Now once Hezbollah gets involved, all bets are off. And that’s precisely what the US is counting on – justification to support Israel against Hezbollah – which is what this whole affair is actually all about (and Iran.)
This pier was and is a bad idea.Biden should have punched Biby in the mouth and made him cut it out. Austin is just a lunatic. I would not be surprised if Israel attacks the Freedom Flotilla.After all they shelled a US Destroyer. They have no limits to the evil they create on a daily basis.
Biden and Netanyahu are lunatics and plenty of money is available for the lunatics to burn.
If the flotilla even leaves Turkey. If it does, it will be assaulted, IDF boarding the ships, “inspecting” the aid. Perhaps shoot up some volunteers. Who will stop them? The UN? Us? Hah.
“After all they shelled a US Destroyer” When did that happen?
Remember the US LIBERTY???
Let us discuss the gang rap and mutilations perpetrated by Hamas, the families of Israeli civilians most cruelly butchered.
What evidence do you have, without the facts there is nothing to discuss. Start with what cane before Oct. 7, and do include the WB.
And just important as remembering the Liberty is too understand the events. Give it a try.
Creeps running the US look more ghoulish daily.
Lets hope they do.. At their Commander n Chief!
Another set of sacrificial targets to help trigger direct US involvement in Israel’s wars and goals for territorial conquest. They join the troops in Iraq, Syria, Jordan.
“Austin Says It’s ‘Possible’ That US Troops on Gaza Pier End Up in a Shooting War” That’s exactly why Biden sent them.
Biden doesn’t send anyone anywhere. Biden can’t even tie his own shoes.
All kinds of things get done behind his back. Reagan had his cue cards. Biden has his teleprompter and briefing as to what to say. I can imagine both putting their underwear on backwards.
The post with Matlock’s Q&A would put Reagan far beyond Joey two shoes in the awareness/qualification category as president.
Judging past and recent presidents, we are governed these days by idiots and nincompoops.
Nothing makes sense.
It makes perfect sense: https://michael-hudson.com/2024/04/gaza-the-strategic-imperative/
I wonder if they will be allowed to shoot back if they get shot at by
God’sThe Donor Class’s Chosen People?If the IDF would shoot at hostages, or anyone, carrying a white flag……………..
My last comment is being reviewed? So here it is being said differently. There is only ONE Solution to this problem, we all know what that is, the question is “WHO will do it”. My choice would be for the Israeli People to do it, if not them, it has to be the so called “most powerful nation on earth”, whoever that is?
According the Miko Peled, all Israelis are programmed from their first entering their education system to despise and hate Palestinians. He is the son of a former general in the Israeli army in 1949, and he is a former IDF special forces soldier, who saw action. He eventually thought what the IDF did on a daily basis in Gaza was wrong. He wrote the book, “The General’s Son the Journey of an Israeli in Palestine”. He speaks out against what Israel is doing.
Just for once,take a look at Hamas’ charter,if you want to see hate and programming. Israelis who are traumatized by warfare are allowed to speak their minds,they would be slaughtered as traitors in the Palestinian territories.
Why don’t YOU take a look at Hamas’ 2017 charter? Do you have any problems with it? Here it is:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hamas-2017-document-full
Here js an excerpt:
“16. Hamas affirms that its conflict is with theZionist project not with the Jews because of their religion. Hamas doesnot wage a struggle against the Jews because they are Jewish but wages a struggle against the Zionists who occupy Palestine. Yet, it is the
Zionists who constantly identify Judaism and the Jews with their own
colonial project and illegal entity”
Settled international law: people who are imprisoned or otherwise have their access to the outside world controlled by force of arms have the inherent right to oppose that imprisonment via force of arms – ie, violent means. Hamas is their instrument.
Your viewpoint runs counter to settled law and exposes vast ignorance.
My last comment is being reviewed? So here it is being said differently. There is only ONE Solution to this problem, we all know what that is, the question is “WHO will do it”. My choice would be for the Israeli People to do it, if not them, it has to be the so called “most powerful nation on earth”, whoever that is?
Who but the IDF would attack American troops blocking aid shipment for the Palestinians?
“Netanyahu suggested using the pier to remove Palestinians from Gaza.” That makes sense, the real purpose of the pier, still an idiotic and useless idea. with a little bit of good will they would have opened the gates, why build a pier ? The insanity of it all is mind boggling.
Boots on the ground. I can hear Cronauer on Armed Forces Radio again, starting the day off with, “Good Morning Vietnam”, only today, it will be, “Good Morning Gaza”.
This the real reason for building the pier in the first place as I have suspected before .The Biden administration looking for reason to enter the fully on the side of Israel by creating the pretext. Remember how many US humanitarian missions evolved into wars and occupation.
Ike’s “advisers” evolved into full military engagement. Kennedy wanted to bring them home, and, break up the CIA. Allen Dulles took him out. Watching Judging Freedom, with Judge Napitalano, who was interviewing Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Col. Wilkerson told the Judge about at meeting Ike had with Dulles, after which he told his administration director, to ” do not leave me alone with that man ever again”. Pure evil, and many believe him to be the man behind the assassination. May have nothing to do with the pier, etc, but there are men evil enough for us to get into another shooting war, this time for crazy Zionists in Israel. A movie could be made about it, and no one would believe it.
Well Joe’s mob will have a chance to participate in Bibi’s ethnic cleansing extravaganza. Win win.
Austin wants a shooting war where the other side has no weapons. You see, he’s so frustrated with the Russians. They shoot back. No fair, huh, Austin.
Why do not we LISTEN what Netanyahu and Smitrich say. Pier is to remive Palestinians by ship, as no neighboring countries would participate in genocide. US can always find a willing colonies to take people for a good reward.
The pier just HAPPEN to be licated at the end of the new road Israel build to cut Gaza in half. Military road only. Why is US obliging to built pier there? First, this will be the quickest way to deliver weapons to Gaza. And the way to ship population out — after they keep all males ro be killed. That was already anounced by Israel. We must believe what they say,
It remains to be seen what will US role be. For a country that so quickly ditched its students protesting genocide – humiliated, smeared, punished — all for Israel. I am not hopeful of next step. It would be nice to see some decency.
But it seems it is Netanyahu that is cracking the whip. He ordered our University presidents, our local governments and our states — to crack down on any objection to genocide. Both parties are in a denial, Spokespeople look dazed like deer in headlight, repeating nonsense.
Something is deeply wrong.
Would anybody really be surprised if “the pier” was used by US troops to storm the beaches of Gaza to “liberate” the Strip from Hamas? In a major embarrassment, the Israelis haven’t been able to wrap this operation up after 7 months and Biden’s handlers want this “War” over.
Why would they need the pier to storm the beaches? They have landing craft, helicopters, etc.
True, but they still need some excuse why they had to invade. Any perceived threat of violence against the US boots on the ground building the $400 million pier could be just the thing.
Biden isn’t gonna storm US troops onto foreign soil b4 the election and as long as there’s Israeli occupation neither the IDF nor US troops will eliminate Hamas or resistance.
You have no idea what orders may be coming down from AIPAC.
No I don’t, but I was talking elections, have you seen any polling of likely voters supporting US troops in Gaza?
Voters never wanted US troops in Lebanon, or Kuwait, or Afghanistan, or Somalia, or Iraq, or Syria, or Lebanon, or Saudi Arabia, or……
A blanket statement about missions, other than in Muslim countries, varying significantly – SC sanctioned v not, humanitarian v offensive, broadly/ multinational v. not at all, pre-NATO expansion v not – as did voter support. Not a rebuttal to my premise about this time, conflict and political reality. A better rebuttal would have been the 24% of evangelical, mostly conservative and Israel Lobby represented, voters
And as we all know if U.S. gets into a shooting war, it’s legit.