Prof Michel Chossudovsky
The Western media in
chorus has described the Israeli attack on Gaza as an ad hoc IDF-led counterterrorism
operation, launched on the grounds of “self defense” in response to Palestinian
rocket attacks on Israel.
While reports
acknowledge that president Obama, in the wake of the November 6 elections, had
granted a “Green Light” to Tel Aviv, the central issue does not pertain to
Washington’s support but rather to the direct involvement of the US government
and military in the planning and implementation of the attack on Gaza.
There is evidence
that Operation “Pillar of Cloud” was implemented in close liaison with
Washington in the context of the broader process of allied military planning.
Senior US military officials were on location in Israel working with their IDF
counterparts in the days leading up to the attack.
Operation “Pillar of
Cloud” was launched on the 14th of November, exactly one week after the US
presidential elections. It was slated to be launched irrespective of the
outcome of the US elections. The first action was the targeted assassination of
the leader of Hamas’ military wing Ahmed Jabari. The operation has since
evolved towards a generalized bombing campaign and ground invasion involving
the announced deployment of some 75,000 Israeli troops.
US- Israeli War
Games
What is significant
in assessing US involvement in Operation “Pillar of Cloud” is the fact that in
the month prior to the attacks, the US and Israel were involved in the conduct
of the largest joint war games in Israeli history. The objective of the war
games was to test Israel’s missile air defense system against attacks from far
and near, namely from Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.
US Defense Secretary
Leon and Israel’s Minister of Defense Ehud Barack had established a
process of close consultation. Panetta was in Israel in early August. He
returned to Tel Aviv two months later on October 3, two weeks before the
launching of the US-Israeli Austere Challenge 12 military exercises.
On
October 18, the US and Israel launched within Israel the first phase of the
joint war games. The military exercises were conducted over four weeks
overlapping with the US elections (November 6) and culminating with the
commencement of the Gaza bombings (November 14).
The joint US-Israeli
war games, in a sense, “went live” on November 14 with the launching of
Operation Pillar of Cloud.
It should be
understood that the joint US-Israeli war games were intended to lead towards an
actual military operation. Pillar of Cloud was planned well in advance. It had
been “embedded” into the structure of the joint US-Israeli war games.
The joint war games
dubbed “Austere Challenge 12” involved the active participation of some 3500 US
and 1000 Israeli troops. The US contingent was made up 1000 US troops stationed
in Israel including military advisers and special forces together with 2500 US
personnel under the jurisdiction of the US 6th fleet in the Eastern
Mediterranean and US European Command (EURCOM). UPI
Israeli soldiers
stand near the Iron Dome, a new anti-rocket system, stationed near the southern
city of Beersheba, Israel, March 27, 2011. The Israeli Defense Force deployed
the $200 million Iron Dome system in response to dozens of rockets fired by
Palestinian militants from Gaza in the past weeks. The Iron Dome is meant to
protect Israeli towns from rockets fired from Gaza. UPI October
23, 2012)
The joint US-Israeli
war games were jointly coordinated by U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Craig
Franklin and IDF Brigadier-General Shachar Shohat. The stated objective of
these military maneuvers was to “create “stress situations” in Israel’s
airspace and off its Mediterranean coast that test the ability of both
countries to act against attacks” from near [Hamas, Hezbollah] and far
[Iran]“.
The conduct of these
games was overseen by Admiral James G. Stavridis, commander of the United
States European Command (EUCOM). Reports point to the establishment
of US command posts within Israel operating under the jurisdiction of
EUCOM.
Admiral Stavridis
has acknowledged in this regard that:
“the two sides [US
and Israeli command structures] had worked hard to create real intelligence
during the exercise, The drill is meant to simulate an extensive war in the
Middle East that would require the United States to intervene and provide
Israel with further defense to intercept missiles.”
(Haaretz, October 24,
2012)
The drills involved
the deployment of Batteries for the Patriot Pac-3 missile system,
“stationed across Israel”. The US Aegis guided missile cruiser “was anchored
off the coast of Israel as part of the drill”.
The missile
interception drill is considered an integral part of the general exercise. The
Israeli and American forces will practice identifying targets heading toward
Israel, in order to decide which means should be used to intercept them and to
activate the defense system as quickly as possible, before they can land on
Israeli territory.
Israel’s Defense
Minister Ehud Barak underscored the fact that “the joint exercise reflected the
profound cooperation with the Americans” as a means to confront the ongoing
threat from Hamas. This statement was made on November 12, two days before the
onslaught of the attack on Gaza:
“These are very
important times for advancing our missile defense coordination in the face of
future tests, and also for ongoing activity against Hamas and the terror
organizations in Gaza, which is likely to worsen and expand,… The
Gaza Strip constitutes a significant challenge, at whose center lies firepower,
including the threat of rockets that can reach the Dan region.”(Haaretz, November 12,
2012, emphasis added)
In the context of
the war games, Hamas and Hezbollah are identified as “nearby enemies” and
allies of Iran:
The joint exercise
is simulating the possibility of wide-ranging rocket fire on Israel, both from
nearby enemies and more distant ones, and the possibility of a war with
Iran and Hezbollah.
Defence Minister
Barack also confirmed that
“After the firing
exercise, the defense establishment will conduct another round of tests, simulating
the possibility that more advanced defense systems, including the Arrow 3 and
Magic Wand systems, which have not yet been used in combat, would take part in
confronting rocket barrages.”(Ibid)
The Insidious Role
of Qatar
October 18, the
joint US-Israeli war games are launched
On October 23, the
Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani visits the Gaza Strip for
meetings with the Hamas government and promises of financial aid.
October 24,
Israel’s President Shimon Peres insinuates that Qatar, a staunch ally of the
US, is not only providing military aid to Hamas but is encouraging Hamas to
increase the rocket attacks on Israel:
No sooner had he
[The Emir of Qatar] departed, than the Islamist group ruling Gaza let loose
with salvoes of rockets against Israel. …
Peres commented
Wednesday [October 24] said that it is intolerable for the rulers of Gaza to
receive millions of dollars form the Emir of Qatar and shoot rockets. Nowhere
in the world, whether London or New York, would it be acceptable for money
awarded for building materials to be spent on rockets. Israel cannot put up
with any more of this, said the president. “It is up to Gaza to choose between
development and terror and murder.”
October 24, Israel
launches a bombing raid on Gaza killing four civilians in retribution for
rocket attacks out of Gaza, which resulted in the wounding of four foreign
workers. The press reports acknowledge that the Israeli air raids coincided
with the onslaught of the joint US-Israeli war games:
The mock military
maneuvers and computer war simulations … coincided with actual Israeli air raids
70 kilometers (44 miles) to the south on the Gaza Strip in response to
Palestinian rocket attacks. Four Gaza residents were killed by the Israeli
strikes as Palestinian militia groups launched at least 75 missiles into
Israel, wounding three foreign workers, two seriously, and damaging
property, according to police. (Bloomberg, October 25,
2012, emphasis added)
What the above
suggests is that the October 24 air raids on Gaza were already ongoing in the
course of the joint US-Israel war games. Everything indicates that the attack
on Gaza officially launched on November 14 was a sequel to the joint US-Israeli
war games which had in fact already “gone live” in late October.
Covert Op?
The visit of the
Emir of Qatar to Gaza at the very outset of the US-Israel joint war games has
all the appearances of a US-led covert operation. Qatar is a US sponsored
puppet regime It has a close relationship to both the US and NATO in both
intelligence and military affairs, while also channelling financial aid to
Hamas.
According to one
report: “the Emir of Qatar provided intelligence to the Israelis which
was used in the targeted bombings of key Hamas government buildings.” (Fars New, November 17, 2012)
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