this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2024
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The Pentagon has confirmed it is sending a THAAD missile defence system and US troops to Israel, publicly acknowledging that US troops will be on the ground assisting in Israel's defence.

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[–] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 103 points 1 month ago (9 children)

Yuck... That's fucking disgusting. I feel physically sick reading this.

They're telling Israel to slow down with the attacks and sending weapons and soldiers at the same time.

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 23 points 1 month ago

They're telling Israel to slow down with the attacks

Purely to help placate the public. There's no influence/true intent behind these words. It's the actions, not the words, that tell the true story.

[–] circuscritic@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

They're air defense operators, just like gets deployed around Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure.

If you want to feel bad about anything, it's that this will significantly reduce the likelihood that Iran can threaten Israel with ballistic missiles.

THAAD is really good at what it does, and something tells me that the Iranians aren't going to want to waste their entire stock pile on fruitless saturation attempts. To say nothing of their concerns of killing American troops.

As in, this provides Israel even greater latitude on their quest to start a hot war with Iran, without dramatically increasing any threat to their military bases and government buildings. Well, at least not from ballistic missiles.

[–] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 18 points 1 month ago

As in, this provides Israel even greater latitude on their quest to start a hot war with Iran, without dramatically increasing any threat to their military bases and government buildings. Well, at least not from ballistic missiles.

That's also a very good point. It's like shielding a bully while they continue to bully other people. While I wouldn't mind seeing that bully getting smacked by the other people they oppress, I also don't want to see more people dying either. However, I know Iran has been targeting military targets and not civilian ones. So...

Anyway, this is all just fucked up and I want to see an end to this senseless violence and death, and I want to see Israel getting what they fucking deserve. That is the whole country should cease to exist in terms of land and borders and the land be returned to Palestinians after what they fucking did.

[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

THAAD can be overwhelmed similar to Israel's own missile systems. There has been a THAAD system in Israel since 2019 so it already failed during Iran's retaliation.

The US is sending around 100 US troops with the new system so there will be additional interception capabilities. But it remains unlikely this will affect a saturation missile attack.

[–] circuscritic@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I'm not saying it can't be. I'm saying I don't believe Iran has the capabilities or stockpiles available to do so, given the other American assets in theatre, or a desire to risk killing American troops.

I suspect they're deploying THAAD because of the failures of David's Sling during the last missile attack.

Air defense systems protect specific targets, not countries. Given the THAAD's long track record under US operators, I would wager that the bases and targets that Iranian missiles hit, either lacked sufficient coverage, had poorly trained Israeli personnel, and/or were covered by David's Sling.

Of course, I could be wrong, but we won't know for many many years given how secretive Israel is on these matters.

Edit: I'm not seeing any reports of active THAAD deployments in Israel prior to this announcement, just previous deployments to Israel, including for training. But no mention if they rotated out prior to the Iranian missile strike, or that they were present for it.

I'm not saying they weren't there, but do you have a source confirms they were present during this most recent attack?

[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (11 children)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_High_Altitude_Area_Defense

In March 2019, Bravo Battery, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (B-2 THAAD), 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade[55] was deployed at Nevatim Airbase during a joint US-Israeli drill, after which it was to be moved to an undisclosed location in the Negev desert in southern Israel.[56] The X-Band radar system, which is part of the THAAD system, has been deployed at Nevatim since 2008.[57]

On October 13, 2024, the Pentagon announced it will send an air defense system along with about 100 U.S. troops to operate it. The deployment comes after two direct missile attacks from Iran against Israel on April 13 and Oct. 1.

[–] circuscritic@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yes, that first but confirms the news article.

~~And then it talks about a deployment 5 years ago for a training exercise.~~

~~These aren't brick and mortar buildings, they're mobile platforms, and mobile air defense batteries redeploy all the time.~~

~~Again, I am not closed to the idea that there was US military operated THAAD system in Israel during that attack, I just can't find any reports confirming that, or even eluding to it.~~

Never mind, I misread that last bit. I will take a look at it later when I have a few moments, thank you.

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[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 month ago
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[–] teagrrl@lemmy.ml 41 points 1 month ago

When will this horror ever end? It's just escalation after escalation from Israel & the U.S.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 28 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Imagine the good that could be done caring for USA citizens with all the money we send to Israel to make war.

[–] comfy@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 month ago

Seriously, it's one of those few bridge-crossing arguments which most people will agree on, from the communists to the liberals to the nationalists. Look at all that money going to the other side of the world. Look at the local living conditions. If the governments aren't keeping people poor, desperate and dying on purpose, then the choice of where to spend the money is obvious!

[–] dRLY@lemmy.ml 27 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Sending US troops in any capacity seems to me that US hawks are wanting to increase the chances of US troops being killed. Which then means that the US can then justify sending everyone in that they want.

Use the excuse of "they attacked 'Merica" and do the same shit that happened in Afghanistan and Iraq (just with Israel "inviting" them in and as a "supporting" army). Which will of course ignore all of the US citizens that have been murdered by Israel.

They want so badly to bring back the "hero" trappings that WW2 had, but they will be siding with the fascists this time around. And would have "perfect" excuses to attack China and Iran via false flag shit (again using Nazi tactics). Hell, they might even pull-off something with Russia that can be used for the death spiral that NATO Article 5 promises. Be like all the shit that made sure WW1 would happen if literally anything popped off.

[–] mhague@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

At the very least it would balance out the stream of reports of Israel bombing / shooting yet another journalist / American / medic / humanitarian.

[–] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 19 points 1 month ago

And let THAT be a Lesson to Israel next time they try to KILL AMERICANS or BOMB SCHOOLCHILDREN!

[–] Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Now if Iran sends a ballistic missile in and kills one American what will the US do compared with what the did a few weeks ago when the IDF purposely shot an American protester in the Westbank?

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I don't think Iran will need to wait that long. This looks like the US/Israel are planning a joint operation counterattack on Iranian facilities. Which will trigger a retaliation in turn as Iran escalates in kind. Etc, etc.

The big difference now is that the US military will officially be getting its hands dirty in the region, much like we did in Desert Shield / Storm and in Libya. Very possible that the ghost of John McCain finally gets its long-sought-after bomb bomb Iran.

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 16 points 1 month ago
[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 16 points 1 month ago

We should send defense equipment and forces to both sides.

[–] Fidel_Cashflow@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (6 children)

hope every US troop setting foot in occupied Palestine gets exactly what they deserve, as swiftly as possible. 🥰

[–] MinorLaceration@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

That's not what's going on here, but okay I guess.

Edit to insert a comment I wrote elsewhere:

In case people aren't clear, these soldiers are the operators of the additional THAAD system they are deploying to Israel. These aren't infantry being sent to kick in doors alongside the IDF. THAAD is a ballistic missile defense system with no offensive capabilities. We already have a THAAD unit deployed to Israel.

Don't be mad because you expect to see headlines saying US Soldiers are killing civilians in Gaza. Be mad because this enhances Israel's ability to continue escalating conflict with Iran and hiding behind US cover when Iran strikes back.

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[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 11 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Weapons I get (in the sense that it's already a thing), but soldiers? What are they even gonna do?

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml 22 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (4 children)

Try to scare Iran into not attacking. Iran targets military installations including missile systems so there is now a chance that they will blow up legally (at least according to USA) stationed US soldiers there. Or worse, this might be a deliberate provocation and they want Iran to blow them up to have some bloody shirt to blind the people into yet another war.

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Iran has already taken on US military installations in Syria and in Iraq. It seems very likely that there was a US presence at some of the military installations that Iran has already attacked in Israel.

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 month ago

Sure, but the situation is different, US now is blinded with blood, note how the most significant part of that news is that they are officially deployed right into what is basically hot target zone.

[–] Apollo42@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's more likely that they are being sent because they are trained to operate THAAD and sending them is more efficient than training IDF troops to operate it.

Iran launched missiles at US bases in Iraq a few years ago with very little in the way of retaliation.

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml 12 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Wasn't this around the time US murdered Soleimani? It was clear back then that US no longer want war, Soleimani head was to have a last word and to appease republican hawks in Washington. Now the situation is different, current administration seem to push for war. Also US is perfectly able to ignore any and all deaths of its citizens when they don't want war, but bray for blood at the slightest provocation when they do want. They just have an excellent propaganda around this - most glaring historical example is how the sinking of Lusitiania scared Germans so much that in september 1939 even Goebbels eaten all that propaganda and after sinking Athenia everyone there was scared shitless and entire act was made so secret that it only accidentally came to light after war. Also USS Liberty incident.

[–] Apollo42@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah I think that's why Iran attacked the US base (might have been multiple, I can't really remember) iirc.

I think a big part of why the US didn't respond is that a) they took out Soleimani first and b) an Iranian air defence battery, on high alert expecting US retaliation, immediatley shot down a passenger jet.

The airliner being downed really took the sting out of it, kind of like someone swinging at you, barely connecting, and then immediately punching themselves in the dick.

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yeah i remember that, really awful accident, i think that cooled a lot of heads in Iran and western hawks were gloating about "barbarous asiatic regime shooting at random targets in a bouts of fear and paranoia" which appeased their bloodthirst and superiority complex somewhat.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 2 points 1 month ago

I hate how that makes sense.

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[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 month ago

The 100 soldiers will operate the missile systems. Maintenance, reloading, target confirmation etc.

[–] MinorLaceration@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

They are the soldiers responsible for operating the missile defense system.

[–] Apollo42@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Operating the anti ballistic missile aystem that's being sent.

[–] Drusas@fedia.io 9 points 1 month ago

We should be sending THAADs to Ukraine. There's been plenty of time to train their own soldiers to use it.

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Saving you a click: it’s a THAAD system and the people to operate it.

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[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 month ago

Fucking A. Why not finish helping Ukraine first before fucking around in the sandbox? Do we all have the collective attention span of a toddler?

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