United States Air Force personnel in Iraq have been ordered to remain on standby in case of an “on-ground US involvement in the Israel-Hamas war,” said a Pentagon memo. Even though people have been told an “on-ground” aggression is possible, Washington maintains that it has no plans to put boots on the ground in Palestine.
In a Pentagon memo that circulated earlier this month were instructions to an unknown number of troops. They are to be placed “on standby to forward deploy to support troops in the case of on-ground US involvement in the Israel-Hamas war,” the Intercept reported. The standby order applies to troops stationed in Iraq since last year, according to a separate Pentagon document seen by The Intercept.
Middle East War: Israel Says The Operation In Gaza Will “Shift”
The US responded to Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel by immediately dispatching two aircraft carriers to the region and preparing 2,000 additional troops for deployment to the Middle East, but White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on October 10 that “there is no intention to put US boots on the ground” in Israel or Gaza.
However, US special forces have been active in Israel since October, with senior official Christopher Maier telling reporters at the time that American commandos were “actively helping the Israelis to do a number of things.” The Pentagon has also admitted to flying spy drones over Gaza “in support of hostage recovery efforts.”–RT
Israel: A Rich Nation Receiving the Bulk of US Foreign Aid
American ships and warplanes have also launched several strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen, in a bid to break the Houthi blockade on “Israel-linked” merchant shipping passing through the Red Sea.
Crisis In The Red Sea Threatens To Disrupt Global Supply Chains Even More Than The Pandemic Did
The Houthis have responded by targeting US commercial and military vessels in the area. On Wednesday, the militants announced that they had fired multiple missiles at the destroyer USS Gravely.
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