A US Navy lighterage system craft connects to the off loading of a Sealift Command ship
Andre Damon – WSWS March 9, 2024
The United States will deploy 1,000 troops off the coast of Gaza for the nominal purpose of building a floating pier for humanitarian aid, the Pentagon said Friday.
President Joe Biden announced the construction of the pier during his State of the Union address on Thursday. “I’m directing the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters,” Biden said, adding, “No US boots will be on the ground.”
The claim that the construction of the floating pier is motivated by humanitarian concerns is a transparent pretext. The entire population of Gaza could be fed within a matter of days if not for Israel’s blockade of food into the besieged enclave. While US officials declare that Israel should “do more” to allow food into Gaza, the US is enabling Israel’s genocidal policy of starving the Palestinian people by continuing to surge weapons and funding to Israel.
This week, US press reports indicated that the Biden administration has sent over 100 separate arms shipments to Israel since October 7, breaking them up into smaller tranches to avoid congressional oversight.
At best, the building of the floating dock is a massive public relations exercise, designed to distract attention from the United States’ ongoing support for the Gaza genocide. Moreover, the dock will not be operational for two months, during which time 2 million Gazans will continue to starve.
But it has other, more ominous connotations as well. One thousand US troops will be deployed in Gaza in all but name, increasing the level of participation of the US military in the war. The Pentagon sees the genocidal war as a chance to rehearse its amphibious landing and logistics capabilities, which it plans to put to use in future wars throughout the region and the wider world.
To date, US airdrops of food into Gaza have been a pittance, with Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder saying that approximately 11,000 meals are being delivered per day—to feed a starving population of over 2 million. On Friday, three more children died of malnutrition at Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital, bringing the confirmed death toll from the famine to 23.
In his State of the Union address on Thursday, which took the form of a warmongering diatribe against Russia, Iran and China, Biden endorsed Israel’s actions in its onslaught against Gaza. He declared that “Israel has a right to go after Hamas” and that the conflict should end with the total capitulation of the resistance to Israel. “Hamas could end the conflict by surrendering,” he said.
Biden absolved Israel of targeting the civilian population by saying that “Hamas hides and operates among the civilian population like cowards, under hospitals, daycare centers and all the like.” Israeli officials have made it clear that they intend to launch a full-scale attack on Rafah before the start of Ramadan, which begins in less than a week. With negotiations over a ceasefire having broken down, Biden said Friday that it was “looking tough” to reach to a ceasefire agreement before Ramadan—effectively admitting that an invasion of Rafah will take place.
As Israel enforces famine conditions on Gaza, the meager aid that does get through often turns deadly. Five children were killed when a parachute malfunctioned during an airdrop of humanitarian aid on Friday, while Israeli forces once again opened fire on people at a food distribution center in Gaza City the same day. Last month, Israeli forces fired on people lining up to receive flour, killing over 100 people in what came to be known as the “flour massacre.”
In a briefing, Michael Fakhri, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, told reporters in Geneva that the US airdrops of food and plans to build a floating port were “absurd” and “cynical.” He said they “will do very little to alleviate hunger, malnutrition, and do nothing to slow down famine.”
He added, “The time when countries use airdrops and these maritime piers is usually, if not always, in situations when you want to deliver humanitarian aid into enemy territory.” But Gaza is completely besieged by Israel, Washington’s closest ally in the region and its largest recipient of military aid.
The director of communications for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Juliette Touma, said:
There is an easier and cheaper way to bring much-needed supplies into the Gaza Strip. … That is via the road, including sending more trucks from Israel into the Gaza Strip. … It shouldn’t be this difficult. There are several crossing points that connect Israel to the Gaza Strip, and this is what we used before the war started.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) told Al Jazeera, “A temporary pier that could take weeks to construct or airdrops is not a solution.” Instead, it called on Israel to lift “its siege of Gaza, [reopen] its crossings, including the Karni (Al-Muntar) and Erez (Beit Hanoon) crossings in the north, and [allow] the safe and unimpeded movement of humanitarian workers and aid—including fuel, food and medical supplies.”
Palestinians quoted in the US media condemned the plan. “Instead of telling us they will build a port to help us, stop [providing] the weapons they fire at us,” Hassan Maslah, a displaced Gazan sheltering in Rafah, told Reuters.
US plan for temporary pier in Gaza a “glaring distraction”
Medecins Sans Frontieres-Doctors Without Borders – March 8, 2024
On March 7, President Biden announced plans for the US military to build a temporary pier on the coast of Gaza in the Mediterranean Sea in order to help deliver humanitarian aid. Today the US also issued a joint statement with the European Commission, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom announcing the activation of a “maritime corridor” to support humanitarian assistance.
Avril Benoît, executive director for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) USA, gave the below statement following these announcements:
“The US plan for a temporary pier in Gaza to increase the flow of humanitarian aid is a glaring distraction from the real problem: Israel’s indiscriminate and disproportionate military campaign and punishing siege. The food, water, and medical supplies so desperately needed by people in Gaza are sitting just across the border. Israel needs to facilitate rather than block the flow of supplies. This is not a logistics problem; it is a political problem. Rather than look to the US military to build a work-around, the US should insist on immediate humanitarian access using the roads and entry points that already exist.
In the past months, the US has vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire—which is the only way to ensure a real scale up in emergency assistance. We reiterate our call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire to stop the killing of thousands more civilians and allow for the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid.”
US port to be used in depopulation of Gaza? “The floating port off the shores of Gaza is a humanitarian facade hiding voluntary migration to Europe.”
https://www.winterwatch.net/2024/03/us-port-to-be-used-in-depopulation-of-gaza/
Far too long. Landing dock, just a pressure valve to allow the slaughter to go on. Ask me, this looks even worst for the US Nazis, because everyone knows Biden could end the genocide.
This Biden hot-mic bollox is another Nazi stunt to appear tough on Bibi.
Apparently the Hooties have sunk two US ships, and came close to hitting US warship, but if you ask me, the image looks faked.
This construction is probably part of the US deal for its access to the energy just offshore of Gaza. With oil and gas fields so near the coast instead of deep at sea forget shipping it, it makes economic sense to pipe it straight to shore and into storage tanks or even better a refinery. No need for a port, just a pier will do.
But first a few packed lunches for the er, …er, …oh yeah! Gazans. /s
A “Floating Dock” my a$$. It’s a drilling rig for the off-shore natural gas Gaza has –
which Israel REALLY, REALLY wants.
The US, UK, and politicians from Europe are just pretending to be concerned about the beleaguered Palestinians in Gaza to cover their backs should there be any political comeback or reprisals.
The US, UK and politicians in other European countries are pretending to be concerned about the beleaguered Palestinians in Gaza to cover their backs should there be any political reprisals if events don’t turn out right for them.
Or an Embarcation pier for large passenger ships?
We are not dealing anymore with conspiracy theories. What Israel and America are doing requires no theories to figure it out.
Could be a pier from where to load up Palestinians.
But OMG there might no be any alive by then…
No doubt they will build some amusements and a Bubba Gump shrimp restaurant at the end of this pier too… and a gateway with Welcome To Hell in Bold red cursive script..
It goes without saying of course that the staffers will be clowns and bearded ladies of the sort only the Americans can produce…the hook nosed Demons and ghouls for the Ghost Ride will probably fly in under their own steam from the Hive on the mainland…
Yeah right. According to ZWOG if you’re a white American or Brit you’re supposed to care more about the mongrel Israeli vs. Palestinian conflict than with liberating your own nation from alien Jewish-Commie-Christian control & ending the invasion/occupation of America/England by millions of nonwhites/wogs.
It sounds like a ploy to war with the Houthis, or be a future used site for the Genociding Jews, for their future off shore oil drilling, I believe it won’t help the Palestines whatsoever, as old complicet to Jews Joe is up the Jews arse!
It sounds like a ploy to war with the Houthis, or be a future used site for the Genociding Jews, for their future off shore oil drilling, I believe it won’t help the Palestines whatsoever, as old complicet to Jews Joe is up the Jews arse!
May I say a “Big well Done” to the one man who runs this site.
OK America you know what will happen next, your people will be busy working and Israel will blast the hell out of your people and equipment.
Then the Houties, Hamas and Iran amongst others will get the blame, jeeeee yeeee yuuuuwwwwe media will go inter-galactic on them demanding that the stupid western world annihilate militant islam. We end up covered in blood with next to no functioning body parts, big jooooowe wins.
The End.
Be careful out there.
This is nothing more than a Biden smoke screen perpetrated by his infiltrated Zionist Pharisee Khazarian Mafia (KM) administrative staff.
The real issue at hand is stopping Israel totally from attacking (done absolutely without justified cause) the Palestinian civilians. Yet, the US refuses to confront Israel and threaten to cut off all aid, plus halt munitions and equipment shipments used against the Palestinians. This is simply one telephone call away and rest internal action. How hard is that?
The occupying force victimisation claim (“By Deception Thou Shalt Do War”) called “self-defence” must cease, but the US’ KM and US Congressional goy leaders kissing the KM papal finger ring keep drumming the falsehood that Israel is under attack and must defend itself by murdering and starving Palestinian women, children, elderly and rest to include aide workers and medical staff.
Although a UN member, Israel has continually failed to carry out its member responsibilities from day 1 of the 1947 UN Resolution dividing Palestine.
Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthi have made noteworthy defences against the IDF’s meritless attacks, but it remains the head of the snake, its political and operational centres that needs being destroyed.
Similar to what the Romans did, the usurers and their financial centres need to be taken out, else all will continue unabated.
This is why the Arabs are so hated because they as a people oppose usury. It is only the KM’s capture of the House of Saud and Egypt with their cronies that they do not resist, paying lip service to the world in cahoots with the KM.
al-SiSi, a cypto Jew in Bolshevik style, overthrew the legally elected Egyptian parliamentary leaders plus murdered its followers, the common people. Egypt along with Libya, a once progressive modern thriving civilisation, are now vassal pawns of Israel and the KM.
For the land is full of adulterers; For the land mourns because of the curse. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course also is evil And their might is not right. … “Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling tempest; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked. “The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; In the last days you will clearly understand it. Jeremiah 23:10,19-20 (Jewish Publication Society)
Robert Pernell: you mean, a site that has seen a terminal decline in content, and almost baseline updates in the comments section.
Rixon keeps saying its a ‘one man operation’, but he keeps saying ‘we’, which is plural in modern English. Could that be a we, as in his close friends, or we as in those who help run the site.
I don’t think Rixon is being dishonest. It’s like Biden saying there are no US forces in UKraine. That is an official truth, but it’s not the actual truth.
I did not have sex with that woman. Which woman? What acts are ‘having sex’?
Could be, this is a one man operation, unless I’m off for the day.
If it’s still the Rixon from way back, then I believe he finds this site a bit of a chore. Does Rixon believe content is high, or okay, or its gone down hill, a bit?
It is very hard to reach a very high standard, and then maintain it for such a long time. The really strange thing, we should be friends, at least online friends, but this ain’t the case, especially when so many have zero interest in the truth, which is very ironic.
“Corona Hotspot” above is probably on the money.
The jews will start dumping Palestinians in all the Western countries they control.They have already established “bridgeheads” in a number of countries….Like Frau Merkels devastating importation of 2 million alien people.
France and Britain are STILL being dumped on (hence Cameron’s recent arrival….descended from a family of Jewish financiers/bankers)
Americans be warned….another jewish false flag may be attempted like the attack on the USS Liberty.
Think about it…these two major conflicts Ukraine and Israel are directly attributable to jewish origins.
Knowing how the Yanks “operate”…
don’t be surprised to see that “floating pier for humanitarian aid” turn out to be an exploratory drilling-rig into the gas-fields off Gaza…
😂
The little Pomeranian Carl ‘makes no bones’ Jones..starts yapping at the sidelines and dissing the proprietor..as is usual from the little snipe..
no doubt the pub empties when Jonesy rolls in… and he blames the beer…