The U.S. military has maintained a footprint in the Middle East for decades, despite declarations by several commanders-in-chief that operations in those countries have ended. American soldiers stationed throughout Iraq and Syria should be asking their own questions about American involvement in the region, but a story published by The Intercept surprised even this Forever War veteran.
The United States has a secret military base in Israel, a stone’s throw from Gaza, and has initiated behind-the-scenes activities to strengthen the base for future operations. Not only was this base already in place before Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, but plans to pour taxpayer money into the base were made before the attacks.
How Israel and the international community at large were surprised on October 7 with an American base so close to Gaza and why this base was built in secret are just two questions that immediately come to mind. The more pressing question, however, is why the mainstream media doesn’t care.
Gaza
US secret base in Israel, known as Site 512, located in the Negueb Desert at the top of Mount Har Qeren. The US has said there are no US troops on the ground, but there are. pic.twitter.com/NcW5AGX4qr— Bharwana (@pain___killer) October 28, 2023
A base by any other name
The Intercept introduced the world to “Site 512” last week, describing it as a radar facility intended to monitor rocket attacks about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Gaza. The reason Site 512 did not detect Hamas attacks is because the base would focus on attacks from Iran, and not attacks from Iranian proxies in Gaza.
Government data obtained by The Intercept describes this site as a “secret global” project and a “life support space” and perhaps the most transparent of the blackouts, a “cooperative security location.” Paul Pillar, a former analyst at the CIA’s Counter Terrorism Center, told The Intercept:
“Sometimes something is treated as an official secret, not in the hope that an adversary would never find out, but that the U.S. government will not want to officially recognize it for diplomatic or political reasons.”
This concept makes sense with regard to Site 512, given the United States’ historical desire to appear neutral regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. By keeping Site 512 hidden, the United States cannot appear to be providing direct military support to Israel in a region not known for accepting such overt Western involvement in the region.
RELATED: Nikki Haley Vows to Restrict Free Speech to Combat Growing Anti-Israel Sentiment
Two months before the attacks in Israel, the Pentagon awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to build troop facilities at Site 512. Before the attacks, the Department of Defense initiated the expansion of Site 512 to house American soldiers.
Blinded by Hamas’s terrorist attacks, the Pentagon was strangely preemptive in its contractual actions for Site 512.
Mike Johnson, the new Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, tells Sean Hannity:
– “We cannot allow Putin to gain the upper hand in Ukraine”
– The US may be required to have ‘boots on the ground’ to ‘support Israel’
– Supports Israel in its direct attack on Iran
– Russia, China and Iran are “the new axis of evil” pic.twitter.com/1dQAZqpMKn— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) October 27, 2023
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A few troops here, a few troops there
Since October 7, American soldiers have been attacked 23 times. These attacks have taken place on bases in Iraq and Syria.
I was in uniform when the announcement was made that the United States would begin withdrawing troops from Iraq. While the decision to withdraw from Iraq had been made, I knew many fellow service members who were still deployed to Iraq after the withdrawal.
The mission had changed from an active war operation to an operation aimed at “training” and “advising” Iraqi forces to fight ISIS. The words the government and especially the defense complex use to describe military activities are essential to not only maintaining footprints abroad, but also to continuing Congress’s funding of these customized missions.
Remember the time Trump tweeted an order to withdraw all US troops from Syria, and everyone went crazy – calling it a gift to Putin – and the withdrawal never happened. Now those same forces are potentially being used to draw the US into a massive new war in the Middle East pic.twitter.com/z4xnsl2eJr
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) October 23, 2023
There are approximately 45,400 U.S. military personnel and contractors in the Middle East. This number is not comprehensive as it does not include troops or contractors within Israel.
The attacks on bases in Iraq and Syria have resulted in two dozen U.S. service member injuries, although so far not life-threatening. What happens if an attack results in American deaths?
RELATED: Only One Republican Votes Against Resolution Supporting Israel, Won’t Endorse ‘Open Pledge of Military Aid’
A reserved right or ace?
On October 18, a leader of the Iraqi military group Kataib Hezbollah wrote:
“The Americans are essential partners in killing the people of Gaza and therefore they must bear the consequences.”
A few days later, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said:
“What we see is a prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops and our people across the region.”
Both explanations relate to the current level of attacks on American personnel in the Middle East. So far, these attacks have not resulted in any casualties.
Still, experts warn that attacks on US helicopters flying over Iraq or the use of roadside bombs that have killed thousands of soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq over the past two decades could be the next steps in these escalations.
Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said of the recent attacks on US personnel in the Middle East:
“We always reserve the right to defend ourselves, and we will never hesitate to take action when necessary to protect our armed forces and our interests abroad.”
RELATED: Vivek Ramaswamy is right: Get America out of the UN and NATO
Are our interests rooted in the destruction of terrorism, or are our interests more economic and political? As with military entanglements since the beginning of time, the truth is always less virtuous than what is sold to the populace.
There are three different types of weapons – some of which are already in short supply – that both Ukraine and Israel want the US to supply them with more of.
NYT: “Some weapons systems could soon be in short supply if fighting continues for months.”https://t.co/MNvHJahIjs pic.twitter.com/Obj4k36x2D
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 22, 2023
How it starts, how it will end
As with Ukraine, the claim that the United States has not committed American boots on the ground in Israel is not entirely valid. The administration and Pentagon’s argument is that American troops are not actively involved in combat operations in Israel, just as they are not yet in Ukraine.
However, Secretary Austin did admit that there is a small group of U.S. special operations forces working with the Israeli forces in a “planning and intelligence” posture. The Pentagon has also stated that there is a “liaison cell” in Israel that works with their special operations forces.
Larger wars arise from these types of covert operations between the United States, Israel and Ukraine. Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, but this conflict is about much more than just Israel and Palestine.
BREAKING: US sends hostage rescue experts to Israel. Meanwhile, US special operations forces have been put on alert in a nearby European country, two senior US military officials said – The Messenger pic.twitter.com/xpZPC3m6pL
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) October 10, 2023
Just as the war in Ukraine has become a proxy war between the United States and Russia, Israel’s war against Hamas is quickly becoming a proxy war between the United States and Iran.
General Ryder further stated:
“What we see is the prospect of greater escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the very short term, coming from Iranian proxy forces, and ultimately from Iran.”
The talking point sold to the public is that these escalations are not wanted. But with so many U.S. troops still in Middle Eastern countries and secret bases bolstering capabilities in the region, it’s harder to sell the message that the U.S. isn’t looking for a fight.
The reality is that the Forever War lives up to its name. The lack of mainstream media coverage of the secret US base in Israel and questions about our continued presence in Iraq demonstrate a general acceptance of how our government perpetuates these never-ending conflicts.
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