US military having doubts about wisdom of its ‘ironclad’ support for Israel – Report
Military officials in the United States are debating whether sending more forces to the Middle East risks further emboldening Israel, according to a report in The New York Times.
US officials say its policy of military support for Israel seeks a “de-escalation of the situation through deterrence and diplomacy”. But some senior officials now question if it is having the desired effect, the paper says.
In the 12 months since Hamas attacked Israel, the Pentagon has supplied billions of dollars of weapons to Israel, while sending its own aircraft carriers, guided missile destroyers and fighter squadrons, as well as deploying 43,000 troops in the region.
The Times said several Pentagon officials expressed concern that Israel was waging an increasingly aggressive campaign against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, knowing that “an armada of American warships and dozens of attack planes stand ready to help blunt any Iranian response”.
One official was quoted as saying it was in Israel‘s interest to take advantage of the beefed-up US military presence in the region to achieve its objectives of destroying Hamas and Hezbollah.
General Charles Q Brown Jr, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who previously commanded US air forces in the Middle East, has raised the issue in meetings at the Pentagon and the White House, The Times reported, citing US officials.
“If you’re Israel and you’re a military planner, you want to do all that while things are in the region, not after it leaves,” said Dana Stroul, the Pentagon’s former top official for Middle East policy, of US military presence.
On Sunday, Biden administration officials said they had talked to Israeli officials about limiting its ground invasion of Lebanon. But Israel’s raids this week have so far looked more like a more extensive operation is planned, other officials said.
US to provide humanitarian aid in response to Lebanon crisis
The State Department says that the United States will provide nearly $157m in new humanitarian assistance to support populations affected by conflict in Lebanon and the region.
The department said in a statement, “This funding will address new and existing needs of internally displaced persons and refugee populations inside Lebanon and the communities that host them.
“The assistance will also support those fleeing to neighbouring Syria,” the State Department said.
Washington provides Israel with at least $3.8bn in military aid annually, and US President Biden has greenlit $14bn in additional assistance to the US ally since the Gaza war began in October of last year.
