Questions

Will we get dragged into this by INTENTIONALLY putting ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time?

As the Israeli offensive in Lebanon expands to include ground incursions & airstrikes, Pentagon officials discussed whether the U. S. military presence is containing a widening war or inflaming it.

In the 12 months since Hamas attacked Israel, launching a conflict that includes Yemen, Iran & Lebanon, the Pentagon has sent a bristling array of weaponry to the region, including aircraft carriers, guided missile destroyers, amphibious assault ships and fighter squadrons.

The Pentagon announced this week that it would add a “few thousand” more troops and essentially doubled its air power in the region.

President Biden says the U. S. hardware and extra troops are there to help defend Israel and to protect other American troops on bases throughout the region. Pentagon spox said they remained “focused on the protection of U. S. citizens and forces in the region, the defense of Israel and the de-escalation of the situation through deterrence and diplomacy.”

But several Pentagon officials expressed concern that Israel was waging an increasingly aggressive campaign against the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful proxy, knowing that an armada of American warships and dozens of attack planes stand ready to help blunt any Iranian response.

“Right now, there’s enough posture in the region that if the Iranians step in, we can and would support Israel’s defense,”. The Pentagon’s top official said, “If you’re Israel and you’re a military planner, you want to do all that while US assets are in the region, not after it leaves.”

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has raised the issue in mtngs at the Pentagon & at the White House. He also questioned the effect of the expanded US presence in the region on combat “readiness,” the ability of the US military to respond quickly to conflicts w/ China & Russia.

I don’t and I aspire to be more and more like them.