The Gaza Pier Situation is tenuous and a possible set up for Beirut Barracks 2.0
As the American domestic scene is distracted by the sudden appearance of the Palestinian “protesters” (née Antifers, née violent Transgenders, née Trust Fund malcontents), the Gaza Pier building exercise has been out of the spotlight. The real question should be, after at least 15 years of about a $1 Billion Dollars of year of funding donated directly to the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) – why has a modern port not already been made in Gaza? For some reason $1 Billion Dollars a year was not enough to at least have a simple seaport and pier.
The Biden Team made a policy decision to generate and deploy U.S. Army and U.S. Navy resources to create such a pier. The whole endeavor was announced simultaneously with the release of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget submission to Congress which eliminated more aircraft and ships than were lost at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Every line item of resources relevant to the Gaza Pier building went downward, which meant for every floating modular causeway section used, there were no replacements bought, and the likelihood of these sections being recovered and re-used is low. The pier building project was just completed and has now received its first hostile fire from Hamas.
Where is the mini-Iron Dome to cover the pier and American military?
The on-going operation to marshal the American flotilla, unload and build the floating modular causeway system (72 feet by 270 feet long), excavate and dump backfill to create the earthen pier to connect with the floating section has now received fire from terrorist elements. On April 24, the site of the pier building exercise came under fire and received two incoming mortar rounds. No injuries were reported, and assembly and construction continued. The Biden Team has insisted that no American Boots will be placed on the ground. It is hard to believe that during JLOTS (Joint Logistics Over The Shore) Operations no U.S. Military personnel will step onto the beach, which defies the meaning of the JLOTS acronym. There seems to be some creative wordsmithing going on.
In a military operation like this, establishing security is usually the first step. So where is the necessary equipment to detect and shoot down the mortar rounds? The Army has the Centurion system which has worked pretty effectively to protect the American base camps across the Middle East. Why this system was not immediately deployed and set up to protect the U.S. Forces is unclear. Even if the Biden Team is serious about “No Boots” on the ground, a Centurion System or two should have been set up on sections of the floating causeway.
Key U.S. Military ship supporting pier construction breaks down
Approximately four smaller and two medium Army ships have been committed to Gaza along with three large Navy vessels. One of the Navy vessels, the USNS, 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo had an engine fire and limped home to the U.S. on its remaining engine for repairs. The ship is named for a Marine Corps Medal of Honor Winner, killed in Vietnam in 1967.
The USNS Bobo is a very large transport ship, almost as long as a Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier and weights in at 55,000 tons fully loaded. It was built during the Reagan buildup in the 1980s to provide a large ship that can roll on/roll off wheeled cargo. The USNS Bobo was constructed in the General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts – a historic and mighty shipyard that no longer exists. Although pushing 40 years old, the ship has relatively low mileage and usage, but the breakdown indicates maintenance issues and was not a good start to the Gaza pier building effort. Ships do breakdown, but when they do, they can be out of service for a long time as they wait for limited drydock space and spare parts that may not exist anymore due to their age. The loss of even one ship affects operations worldwide as other missions are decremented to support the higher priority missions.
Israeli siege constricting the Raffah Redoubt – what’s next?
The pier has just completed its initial construction phase and commercial vessels should shortly begin shuttling aid from close by Cyprus. The Pentagon says the pier has cost $320 million. Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters the cost is a rough estimate for the project. Pentagon cost accounting is bad (I’m being generous) – they’ve failed audit six years in a row, so the $320 million dollar is likely a swag that some poor Joint Staff Action Officer threw at the DOD Press Office when they needed an answer in five minutes. Meanwhile the Israeli’s are bringing the Raffah siege to its final phases as they pursue Hamas.
The Biden Team seems to be slow walking ammunition to the Israelis – possibly because another Rob Malley like, collaborator has been found in the Biden Team at the highest levels. His name is Maher Bitar and he is now Senior Director for Intelligence on the National Security Council. Maher has a long track record of extremist behavior, including amazingly working at the corrupt UNRWA. Israel is very close to finishing off Hamas and will, despite the interference of the Biden Team. This war has to be put in context and is part of the worldwide orchestrated Chinese campaign to topple America, so even when Hamas falls, there will be a next phase of battle in the Middle East Theater of Operations and the Gaza Pier is a vulnerable target for terrorists seeking to attack Americans.
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