We know the many varied ways the US has been complicit in Gaza genocide. The billions in weapons, intelligence, UN vetoes, etc. In fact, US Predator drones provided crucial information enabling the IDF to mount the Nuseirat massacre. The US has also sought to locate senior Hamas leaders to enable the IDF to assassinate them. Marwan Issa, Hamas’ third-in-command, was reportedly murdered thanks to such crucial information.
Last month, Middle East Eye reported that the US has been targeting Hamas’ top leader, Yahya Sinwar, in the hopes of handing him to Israel on a silver platter:
US President Joe Biden alluded to that strategy last week when he told CNN: “I said to Bibi (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu), ‘Don’t make the same mistake we made in America. We wanted to get bin Laden. We’ll help you get Sinwar’.”
A Washington Post story said that US intelligence agencies are providing Israel with vital data pinpointing the location of Hamas’s top leadership:
The Biden administration, working urgently to stave off a full-scale Israeli invasion of Rafah, is offering Israel valuable assistance in an effort to persuade it to hold back, including sensitive intelligence to help the Israeli military pinpoint the location of Hamas leaders
There is a US ban on assassinating foreign leaders going back the 1975 Church Amendment. Neither Bin Laden nor Sinwar would be considered foreign leaders. Besides, the US would not perform the murder. It would hand that off to Israeli assassins. Making it nice and clean, legally if not morally.
Before Israel’s Rafah invasion, the US desperately sought ways of avoiding an expected bloodbath, which is precisely what has happened. Biden offered detailed intelligence on Hamas’ top two officials, Sinwar and Mohammed Deif. He hoped Israel would be satisfied it had achieved its military objectives without an invasion:
According to the officials, Washington wants to focus Israel’s energy on finding key Hamas leaders such as Sinwar and Mohammad Deif, the head of the al-Qassam Brigades, as a way to avert a wider full-scale assault on Rafah.
Even though this effort to avoid an invasion failed (Netanyahu typically listened–and promptly ignored Biden’s request) and Israel did go in, US intelligence without doubt continues to seek out Hamas leaders for assassination.
This assassination plan was foolhardy in countless ways. Sinwar may be an extremely capable leader, but Hamas will not miss a step if he is killed. Such a prospect is undoubtedly built in to its operational structure. If one commander dies in combat, another takes his place.
For Palestinians, the murder of one of Palestine’s most critical public figures would eliminate any chance of a ceasefire. Hamas would turn its back completely on any such agreement. Sinwar’s death would galvanize Palestinian resistance both in Gaza and the West Bank. It is unthinkable that the Biden administration would have considered such a plan (something it may still be pursuing).
Further, Biden’s belief that sharing such intelligence would make Netanyahu more receptive to US interests shows that he and his military-intelligence apparatus fundamentally misunderstand both Netanyahu and Hamas.
The Israeli leader pursues his own interests regardless of whatever blandishments may be offered. He will gladly take what you offer him and give nothing in return. That is his modus operandi and has been for decades. Treating him like a world leader who observed the rules of international relations and honors commitments is a profound mistake. Bibi never met a deal he wouldn’t break.
Social media has trumpeted evidence of supposed US direct involvement in the Nuseirat slaughter. The IDF helicopter landed and took off with hostages within yards of the US built pier. In the first few seconds of this video you can clearly see the pier and how close it is to the helicopter. Certainly, the Israelis would have notified US forces of this plan and received authorization. In fact, the IDF may have done this deliberately to convey the impression that the US endorsed the operation, including the accompanying massacre.
It appears–at least the Pentagon claims- the pier was not used nor were US forces involved in the attack. Its spokesperson pointedly did not issue a blanket denial, since US intelligence played a critical role in locating the hostages.
Regardless of whether the pier was used, it was foolish to permit such close proximity, which has only strengthened the impression that the US played a larger role than it is acknowledging. It makes our complicity in the subsequent massacre even more troubling. It creates more distrust among Gazans in the humanitarian aid effort enabled by the pier. It also exacerbates the disgust the American people feel towards Israeli genocide and Biden’s collaboration with it. This is a major contributing factor in his miserable poll results, showing him trailing Trump in almost every one.
Another factor reinforcing the impression of US boots on the ground is testimony from a young Palestinian boy whose home was attacked (he was shot and his brother killed). He said that he saw US Rangers in the assault team. He claimed to identify them by their patches.
Social media users have referred to his statement as conclusive evidence that US forces took part. However, it’s problematic to use this as evidence, since an 11 year-old boy might have confused two different uniforms worn by IDF and Yamam troops (whom he likely had never seen before).
Nevertheless, Pres. Biden has no one else to blame for the mistrust of US claims. He has thrown his wholehearted support behind the Israeli murder machine. It’s natural that the global audience would find our hand in every tragedy besetting Gaza.
Sinwar/ Hamas must be part of a peace deal.
The only thing that’s remarkable is Blinkin running around the globe at taxpayer expense violating the buget bill prohibition against using apropriated funds for propaganda.
He has repeatedly claimed that the Saudi Abraham Accords/Weapons Sale/Nuclear Deal is nearly ratified, while claiming the 2 State Solution is a necessary compenent. Netanyahu has publicly ruled out any Palestinian state.
Blinkin also has claimed that the Biden UN Security Council Cease Fire resolution is an Israel plan. But Netanyahu has publicly denied that. He stated that with or without a cease fire, and with or without Biden’s Phase I agreement, the war will go on until Hamas is destroyed.
According to Blinkin, Hamas is to blame for all of these problems, not Israel.
Shame on Biden, his administration and Anthony Blinken and all the shills culpable for the atrocities in Gaza and Palestine, now, and over decades.
The genocide and disregard for humanity is beyond reason.
I cannot comment other than to say, as an American, the obscenity of the lies and innocent deaths, due to media silence and misrepresentation that enable this, day after day, for months, years, is despicable,
as is the horrific devastation and loss of life in Gaza, funded by the U.S.
For this person, on father’s day, or any day, Biden’s double standards, betrayal of democratic values, human and children rights is cowardice and insanity.
Thank you, Mr. Silverstein for continuing to inform and share.
@JB: Thank you, kind reader.
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