US is sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the Gaza ceasefire deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private-sector players, U.S. officials said Thursday.

Members of the armed forces of Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are expected to be embedded with the team of 200 U.S. troops, according to one of the officials. The American service members will integrate the multinational force and coordinate with Israeli defense forces, the official said.

US is sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the Gaza ceasefire deal

They Left It to Bibi—And Look What Happened

Twitter via Penny2

That’s an…interesting choice for a nuclear site. /s

The Israeli Air Force conducted dozens of strikes in Iran on Thursday targeting nuclear and missile sites.

Israel strikes nuclear and missile sites across Iran

Related:

Read More »

Satellite Photo Shows US Fighters and Bombers at Key Base for Iran

Source. Timestamp: 4:12.

New satellite imagery reveals a significant concentration of U.S. military aircraft and bombers on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, including strategic B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, F-15 fighters and a C-5M heavy transport aircraft—a buildup signaling enhanced readiness for potential operations amid regional tensions.

Satellite Photo Shows US Fighters and Bombers at Key Base for Iran

Previously:

Is Donald Trump Starting World War III with Iran?

Is Donald Trump Starting World War III with Iran?

Source

Is Donald Trump Starting World War III with Iran?

Donald Trump apparently has decided to attack Iran. Mark this date. It is the beginning of the end of the Trump Presidency. Trump has been persuaded that the Iranian air defense is weak and that a US bombing run will eliminate any chance that Iran can build a nuclear device. He has been a victim of lies. He will shortly discover, if these attacks take place, that Iran retains a significant capability to shoot down US aircraft. In fact, I fully expect Iran will capture and put on display several US air force officers in the next week.

If Trump launches this attack, Iran will retaliate against US bases and Israel. Israel, for the first time in 77 years, will suffer devastating losses. If Trump thought the Houthis were a tough customer, he’s going to learn a hard lesson with Iran.

I have a bad feeling about this… though it could just be the Mac and Cheese staging a rebellion.

Related:

Pentagon chief authorizes voluntary departure of military dependents from Middle East

USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier collides with Turkish merchant vessel near Egypt

What’s Going on With Shipping?

The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, collided with a Turkish merchant vessel Besiktas-M near Egypt late Wednesday, the U.S. Navy confirmed Thursday.

The Besiktas-M, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, is owned by Istanbul-based Black Hawk Shipping Ltd. and operated by Synergy Ship Management Turkiye Pte. Ltd. also based in Türkiye.

USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier collides with Turkish merchant vessel near Egypt

Related:

UPDATED: USS Harry S. Truman Collides with Merchant Vessel in Mediterranean Sea

The last known collision between a carrier and a merchant ship was on July 22, 2004, when USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) collided with a small dhow in the Persian Gulf during the night helicopter operations. The commander of the carrier was relieved after an initial investigation.

U.S. Super Hornet Shot Down Over Red Sea in Friendly Fire Incident + Experts Cast Doubt on US Claims of F-18 Downing by Friendly Fire in the Red Sea

Ward Carroll

Two U.S. Navy aviators are safe after their two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet was shot down by an American ship by mistake, according to a late Saturday statement from U.S. Central Command.

U.S. Super Hornet Shot Down Over Red Sea in Friendly Fire Incident; Aviators Safe

Related:

Experts Cast Doubt on US Claims of F-18 Downing by Friendly Fire in the Red Sea

Here’s why the story about a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet getting taken down in a friendly fire incident by a US Navy destroyer while engaged in anti-Houthi operations is suspect… 1/

2 US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent ‘friendly fire’ incident, US military says

It wasn’t immediately clear how the Gettysburg could mistake an F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, particularly as ships in a battle group remain linked by both radar and radio communication.

Syria’s Rojava [Where They Run Torture Camps] Is in Grave Danger +

Federalization of Syria a.k.a. Balkanization

Syria’s Rojava Revolution Is in Grave Danger (Reason magazine)

If the Kurdish-Arab alliance unravels, the U.S. military may decide to directly back Arab tribes as a bulwark against Iran and the Islamic State, according to Nicholas Heras, who has advised the U.S.-led military coalition in Syria and is now senior director for strategy at the nonprofit New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington. In 2019, when former President Donald Trump wanted to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, the Trump administration considered a strategy of letting the Kurdish forces fall to Turkey and buying off Arab tribes.

The United States has, directly and indirectly, backed all sides of the fight. Turkey is a NATO ally. Some of the SNA [Syrian National Army] units now attacking Kobane had received weapons and training from the CIA and the U.S. military. (After the Trump administration cut off support, a U.S. official condemned these same factions as “thugs, bandits, and pirates that should be wiped off the face of the earth,” and the Biden administration imposed human rights sanctions.) Meanwhile, several hundred U.S. troops are embedded with the SDF.

In his Sunday victory speech about the fall of the Assad government, President Joe Biden said that he wanted to support an “independent, sovereign—an independent—independent—I want to say it again—sovereign Syria.” But U.S. policy at the moment seems to be creating the opposite: a Syria chopped up [Balkanization] by foreign powers.

Rojava is also known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.

Related:

Read More »

Wisconsin Guard ’Maverick’ Battalion Mobilizes to Deploy

TOMAH, Wis. – More than 60 Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers with the 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company were mobilized to active duty Nov. 30 during a deployment sendoff ceremony at Tomah High School.

Following pre-mobilization training, the Guardsmen will deploy to the U.S. Central Command area of operations, where they will synchronize and control logistics operations in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

Wisconsin Guard ’Maverick’ Battalion Mobilizes to Deploy

My guess is that they’re headed to Syria. I may be wrong, though. 🤷🏼‍♀️