Israeli security officials say Pentagon’s decision to reduce number of US troops it will send to joint drill with Israel not related to growing tensions with Israel; others claim Washington saying ‘you will not drag us into Iran war’
Israeli security officials on Saturday tried to downplay the Pentagon’s decision to significantly scale back its participation in a joint military exercise with Israel next month, but some government officials said the decision came as a response to the growing tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and the Obama administration.
“This is the Obama administration’s response to the dinner party Netanyahu held in (Mitt) Romney’s honor,” a senior member of the political-security cabinet told Ynet, while another official said the Pentagon’s decision “isn’t boosting deterrence and is not making the Iranians sweat.
“Regardless of the exercise, the relations between Israel and the US have soured,” another minister said, while another added cynically that “our relationship has never been better.
“The US elections are in two months, and there is no doubt that President Barack Obama, if he is reelected, will make Netanyahu pay for his behavior,” said the security cabinet member. “It will not pass quietly.”
Other officials in Jerusalem said Washington is trying to send a message that Israel will not drag it into war, certainly not before the elections. The Americans were enraged by Israel’s repeated threats to launch a solo military attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, and top US General Martin Dempsey’s recent statement that he does not “want to be complicit” if Israel chooses to attack was carefully worded.
Officials said that while Jerusalem has received the message, the Americans’ conduct is leading Iran to believe that it is safe at least until the US elections.
“This is why the Iranians are issuing threatening statements against the US,” one official argued. “Washington’s hesitant policy is making the Iranians feel freer to move ahead with the nuclear program. This is not how you create deterrence to avoid a military operation.”
The joint military drill is scheduled to begin in September and conclude in mid-November. “Israel has no idea why the Americans decided to reduce the number of troops it will send to the drill,” a security official said. “The ties between the US and Israeli armies are strong, and we would have known if the reduction had something to do with any tensions between Jerusalem and Washington.”
Another security official also rejected the notion that the Pentagon’s decision to scale back its participation in the military exercise was meant as a message to Israel: “There are various reasons for decision, but they have nothing to do with the mounting tensions between Jerusalem and Washington. The drill will still be the largest these armies have ever conducted.”
According to Time Magazine, the US slashed the number of American troops who were slated to take part in the drill by more than 60%. Instead of the approximately 5,000 troops originally assigned to “Austere Challenge 12,” as the exercise is dubbed, the Pentagon will send only 1,500 servicemen and perhaps as few as 1,200.
The number and the potency of missile interception systems that were to be used in the maneuvers were also reduced. Patriot anti-missile systems will arrive in Israel as planned, the crews that can operate them will not. Instead of two Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense warships, only one will be deployed – and even that is uncertain, Time said, citing officials in both the US and Israeli militaries.
There is no mystery about Obama.He is an anti-American, anti-Israel Marxist, Islamist, Black liberation, Chicago thug. That sums him up. What else do you need know?
@ Laura:
Laura you know a majority of Americans support Israel and so does our military. Right now we have an idiot for a CIC.
@ Alan:
You got that right.
The present US administration will not support Il, but may even prevent Il from doing anything. They have the means. No illusion about that.
At least Europe is starting to wake-up to the reality of Islam.
Under obama the US is already ready to fall..obama thinks to the Islam radicals. one that he is too. He is the most dangereous ass in the world. YET , we see America being destroyed by G-d Himself as we the people let him illegally stay in our WH..One thing for sure is my faith in G-d who says HE will completely destroy all nations going against HIM and Israel…HE promises to destroy Iran and all Arabia..and all nations who go against HIS Chosen People…Anyone who doesn’t see HE is in the wind as He says He is , is not reading HIs scriptures. Issac is just one example..hit NO same day on gays program seven yrs to the day…More earthquakes and storms, drought and floods and fire will be worse each time. Obama is no friend of America or Israel. Some day the world will say ” oh who will buy our wares..ONe way or the other…Israel will hit Damascus and it will be rubble which will bring on Psalms 83. They will win and when Russia comes to help bring the others with them, G-d will roar thru Zion and destroy them all..Israel will stand forever…G-d says so..and that is the honest truth. make my day !!
Remarkably the “paying” may work both ways as our natural gas and oil fields come on line in 2013-14 and other facilities to even up the playing field would be available as well.
It is incumbent upon the internal forces in the US to decide what it is to be and so it is ours. Regretful but that is reality.
In 2014 Israel will receive its first new training military aircraft made by a consortium of Italian and Israeli military and civilian firms.
Tank and aircraft engines as well.
Still we prefer that the poisoned situation set up by the WH and SD would disappear but we cannot any longer ignore facts.
Dempsey = Von Rundstedt…
Aide, please draw the curtains. I don’t wish to see those Jews shot down while I’m enjoying my supper…
Von Rundstedt, December 1941…Dempsey, September 2012. No difference.
Another reason to vote out the anti-American, anti-Semitic, reverse Racist, coward, liar and crook come November.
The evil,moronic,stupid, ugly Jew hating traitorous follower of the phony religion aka Islam will be unemployed in January. I believe he should be prosecuted for treason once he and ugly fat wife leave the White House.
No need to take this article seriously, as it comes from the useful Yediot.
Don’t worry America, Israel is behind you!
What the Rebbe said in 1991, I believe is still valid -“ISRAEL IS THE SAFEST PLACE IN THE WORLD”.
The U.S. is consistent. In WWII, 1948, 1956. 1967, 1973, 1982, 2006, etc. the U.S. has tied Israel’s hands or otherwise interfered with their ability to defend themselves. And yet there are Jews who still want to trust U.S. officials.
The Torah warns against trusting the nations and ignoring G-d. Jews never learn and we are now locked into dire consequences.
While Israel gets accused of dragging America into war, the situation is actually the opposite. In fact America’s Middle East interventions are dragging Israel closer to war.
Then let’s remove our armed forces from the Middle East, then we can’t be dragged into a war.
Quite frankly, the US/Israel relationship has become detrimental to Israel. Israel is hamstrung from defending itself.