White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked by a reporter on Tuesday: “Israel could be under attack any moment from Iran. US troops in Iraq were injured yesterday. Why have we not heard directly from President Biden this week?”
Jean-Pierre answered: “You have seen the president. He has been very clear about making sure that we continue to try to de-escalate tensions. And that’s what the president has been doing. He’s been very focused on that, talking to our partners to make sure that we get that done.”
OK.
The White House posted two readouts on Tuesday, one from Biden’s phone conversation with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt, the other with Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar. Both readouts address the Egyptian and Qatari leaders’ “efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, including through an immediate ceasefire and hostage release deal.” Biden thanked both of them for facilitating the negotiations with Hamas, as if Egypt hadn’t been turning a blind eye for decades to Hamas’s smuggling of weapons and tunnel-building material from the Sinai to the Gaza Strip, and as if Qatar hadn’t been the major funder of Hamas’s terrorism.
OK.
According to a report from Axios, which cited three US officials as sources, President Biden and Vice President Harris received an update from their national security advisors on Monday. The briefing indicated that there is still uncertainty regarding the timing and nature of a potential attack on Israel by Iran and Hezbollah. The national security team was unable to provide specific details about when such an attack might occur or what form it might take.
The Washington Post’s senior pundit David Ignatius wrote on Tuesday: “President Biden may be leaving the White House soon. But over the past week, he has conducted an intense round of diplomacy and military preparation to stave off a catastrophic war in the Middle East.”
According to Ignatius, the Biden administration’s strategy to address tensions in the Middle East includes:
- Conducting discreet negotiations with Iran, encouraging them to exercise restraint.
- Issuing stern cautions to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, advising against actions that could hinder a potential ceasefire in Gaza.
- Deploying a substantial US naval and air force to the region to safeguard Israel and other American allies, while also acting as a deterrent against potential escalation.
You got that last part, right? The American armada parked along Israel’s shore and in the Persian Gulf is intended not only to protect America’s greatest ally in the world but also to cuff the hands of said ally should it decide to retaliate Yemen-style.
A senior administration official SMSed Ignatius that “Iran understands clearly that the United States is unwavering in its defense of our interests, our partners, and our people. We have moved a significant amount of military assets to the region to underscore that principle.”
Last Thursday, Biden squeezed PM Netanyahu as well, telling him over the phone to “Stop [expletive] me,” accusing him of messing with US efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza. Biden ordered Netanyahu to be a “good partner,” and stop with the “total victory over Hamas” expletive.
Turns out Biden likes his Jews frightened and begging for protection.
Biden became increasingly frustrated and terse when Netanyahu, in retaliation for a Hezbollah missile attack on a playground in Magdal Shams, in the Golan Heights, that killed 12 children, killed Hezbollah chief of staff Fuad Shukr in the Dahla Shiite neighborhood of Beirut. And then, less than a day later, Hamas senior leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated. While the Americans acknowledged the tactical proficiency of these operations, they viewed them as strategically counterproductive, warning that such actions would escalate tensions and complicate long-term peace efforts in the region.
It’s so funny when the administration is pushing peace efforts with beasts who tear through the flesh of innocent civilians both Israelis and Gazans.
