this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2023
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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a limited number of U.S. troops to prepare for deployment in support of Israel, as reported by multiple sources.

Approximately 2,000 troops have been selected to be on standby for advisory and medical assistance.

The troops will be drawn from various branches of the U.S. military, including those already stationed in the Middle East and nearby Europe.

While their specific units and deployment locations have not been disclosed, it has been emphasized that they will not have a combat role.

The U.S. is extending support to Israel, which is engaged in a conflict with Hamas, primarily focusing on intelligence and planning assistance for potential hostage rescue operations.

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[–] LostMyRedditLogin@lemmy.world 126 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

Just why? Israel is a terrible ally and have continued to allow settlers to move into the West Bank stopping any attempts at a peace process. The US should wipe their hands of this mess instead getting into another quagmire.

[–] metaStatic@kbin.social 70 points 1 year ago (12 children)

because the Christian death cult running the states wants it to happen so their imaginary friend can come back.

[–] BertramDitore@lemmy.world 58 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Yeah, this is way more serious than people realize. The extremist Christian evangelical movement has a disproportionate amount of influence over Israel and how the world views it. They fund schools, museums, archaeological digs and many other things, but with an obvious bias, and often not in the best interest of anyone but those who share their apocalyptic worldview.

It’s pretty wild, and can come off as a bit conspiratorial, once you realize that much of the American support for Israel is for the purpose of preparing for a world-ending war and the resurrection of a mythical character who lives in a collection of short stories.

[–] TinyPizza@kbin.social 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

A former friends mother lost her Catholic mind to some nonsensical flavor of the evangelical god juice and took a trip with a bunch of other lunatics to Israel. Know what they did? Provided free labor to settlements and farms because it was such a transcendent experience to pay 5-10 thousand dollars to go to the holy land and work for gods original chosen people. They love this shit because it brings the world closer to annihilating itself and the fabled rapture they want so very badly.

So fucking over all these lunatics asking us to respect their religious beliefs that are focused at quickening the end of human existence. Is it so hard to just eat pizza and be grateful for the time we have here?

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[–] QHC@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I know this from personal experience after reading the entirety of the Left Behind book series as they were published. At the start I was spending my summers in the equivalent of that Jesus Camp documentary, and by the time I finished was at the end of my personal deconversion journey and come out the other side as an opinionated college atheist.

So, yeah, quite terrifying to see that kink for the apocalypse continue to play out in front of us.

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[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yup the far Christian right want all jews in Israel because their book of fiction says all jews need to be in Isreal to bring about the rapture. Remember when Trump said jews should have dual citizenship?

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[–] Maeve@kbin.social 10 points 1 year ago

Eh, Israel also is supposed to protect “our interests” in the Middle East, strategically positioned, etc. As an old friend who had a political blog for the Chicago Times once said (glad he’s not here to see this crap): all wars are Wall Street’s wars.

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[–] phoneymouse@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago

“Settlers”

[–] charliespider@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Because Hamas kidnapped some American citizens and is holding them in Gaza. The US would likely prefer to attempt any rescue themselves or at least assist in any attempts.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 8 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Unfortunately Israel is the only "western aligned" middle east country, so for that reason we go all watermelon eating contest on their bhole

[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago

is that really why ? I've been wondering

[–] ghostdoggtv@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

We don't have universal health care in America and it's their fault but we pay for them to have universal health care. So no, they're not our ally, we're vassals.

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have continued to allow settlers to move into the West Bank stopping any attempts peace process.

This is exactly why; they keep the place destabilized.

[–] Gingerlegs@lemmy.world 41 points 1 year ago

I do not support this

[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 39 points 1 year ago (3 children)

So this is what its like watching a powder keg get packed. I am not fighting in WW3 for sake of an apartheid state. They pushed these people to their breaking point. If you don't want devils, stop forcing people to live in hell.

[–] luthis@lemmy.nz 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I read a very enlightening comment earlier, that explained how the Netanyahoo regime and Hamas were co-dependent. Because Hamas keeps being terrorists, Netanyahoo can stay in power, and because the IDF keeps killing Palestinians, Hamas keeps getting support.

[–] Maeve@kbin.social 10 points 1 year ago

USA fighting by proxy at the least. To combine parts of what two other commenters said, “I do not support this” “…apartheid state.”

BDS. Free Palestine 🇵🇸

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[–] bemenaker@lemmy.world 34 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Israel does not need US troops help to slaughter mass Palestinians. They have had no problem doing that on their own for decades. We need to keep our troops out of further war crimes. We committed enough of those in Iraq.

Should Hamas committed a brutal act of violence and terrorism like they just did, no. Can Israel respond to that yes. Does that response give them the right to make a million civillians homeless or dead, and steal more land, no.

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[–] GardenVarietyAnxiety@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] TryingToEscapeTarkov@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, always have been. We just have a really good PR team.

[–] Cleverdawny@lemm.ee 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

US considers humanitarian deployment of troops to provide advice and medical aid

Lemmy: omg how TERRIBLE

[–] MimicJar@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago (3 children)

As a genuine question, how often does the US do this? If this is relatively common then it's probably fine. If this is unique or step one of what eventually becomes something else, there is some cause for concern.

I'm not saying it's a good/bad idea, just want to put it in context.

[–] PugJesus@kbin.social 13 points 1 year ago

Pretty common. Obviously, this is a higher profile situation than most, but 90% of the military is 'things other than shooting and killing', so opportunities to combine good practice and good PR are often taken. Because of things like this, you end up with US Army dentists doing free drillings and extractions in Africa, shipping medical supplies to countries that need it, etc etc. Idle hands are devils' work, and all that.

[–] Cleverdawny@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago

This is a relatively common type of deployment to places where the US wants to be seen helping but doesn't want to participate in the actual shooting. So they set up some field hospitals and send some people over for things like military intelligence coordination

[–] BaroqueInMind@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago

Every single natural disaster that happens on US soil or territories are handled with help from US Army National Guard distributing rations, water, and engineers rebuilding everything for people using gov $$$.

Of course this is common for a country with a supply chain so powerful it can deploy a fucking ice cream barge protected by a massive carrier battle group to Japan in the middle of the most fiercest combat during WW2 (there is a story circulating about how a Japanese navy admiral truly realized they lost the war by realizing that existed), or an entire Airborne division rapidly planned and air dropped from the middle of Virginia into anywhere it wants on the planet in 72 hours.

[–] assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yeah I feel like people are jumping to conclusions here

[–] Bwaz@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

And here I was wondering how Israel was going to be able to stand up to the multitudes of the Palestinian armed forces.

[–] randon31415@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (6 children)

American troops operate under a uniform code of military justice. The IDF is headed by someone who called Palestinians "human animals". While I don't want American troops involved, Americans would be less likely to commit war crimes and genocide.

The IDF have been extremely critical of their leadership. Historically, soldiers being forced to fight a war for leadership they don't support frequently ends badly for leadership when they return home.

[–] FMT99@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Maybe so but the whole world will see this as Americans back in the middle east, killing Muslims, again.

This seems like a horribly misguided plan.

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[–] assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This... Seems sensible? Iran has threatened to enter Gaza, and everyone should agree that that happening would be really bad. They're the ones funding Hamas.

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[–] Fades@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

no combat role thank god, but still this seems like a mistake

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[–] fiat_lux@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yesterday: Biden warns Israel that occupying the Gaza strip is a big mistake (strategically)

Today: US puts troops on standby in Israel.

Well, I guess we now know what the US thinks is a better plan. And it appears to be basically the standard US plan of placing military units all across the map.

Sometimes I wonder if the US will ever have a Roman-style "we extended our borders too far to adequately defend the empire" tipping point.

[–] Fades@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I get where you're coming from but they're sending a limited numbers in non-combatant roles only (for now). Providing existing allies with that sort of thing isn't extending borders

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[–] Edgelord_Of_Tomorrow@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

Whatever anyone says about the historical context aside, in the plainest of terms this war began with an enormous assault by Hamas against Israel, and so the US is bound by treaty to assist - whether they like it or not.

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