US Keeps Shifting Strategy And Resources Toward Middle East

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Written by Drago Bosnic, independent geopolitical and military analyst

Knowing when to pick a fight is as important as knowing how to fight, while having the ability to assess how it could unfold and if there’s an actual exit strategy almost always makes a difference between victory and defeat. It’s safe to say that 21st-century Russia has become an expert in this regard, particularly as it has never lost a war in this century. Starting small by defeating the foreign-backed terrorist insurgency in the Northern Caucasus and tackling opponents and instability in the post-Soviet space (also all foreign-backed), Moscow made sure its back(yard) was safe first. By the early to mid-2010s, the Eurasian giant recovered most of its strength and was ready to put a final stop to US/NATO expansionism.

The special military operation (SMO) is the crowning achievement of Russia’s resurgence, as it proved to the entire world that it’s probably the only power on the planet that can stop NATO, the world’s largest imperialist and neocolonialist alliance, as well as the most aggressive one. After decades of crawling aggression in Europe, the political West finally tried its hand against Moscow, but failed miserably and is now frantically looking for ways to break off without having to admit defeat. The United States desperately needs a win, but now realizes that fighting near-peer adversaries is not the way to achieve any victories. Worse yet, the belligerent thalassocracy was trying to defeat its global opponents in their own backyards.

This ended up being not only militarily inviable, but is also playing the role of a cohesive factor for countries like Russia and China. Thus, the US is switching attention to other hotspots and escalating where it thinks it can win a fight (mostly against powerless civilians who can’t shoot back). Unfortunately for the people of the Middle East, they’re in the crosshairs once again. The Pentagon recently outlined its strategy in the region, primarily under the guise of supposedly “helping Israel”.

In a November 6 press release, DoD (Department of Defense) Press Secretary USAF Brigadier General Patrick S. Ryder stated the official goals of the US strategy in the Middle East. According to Ryder, the US has four priorities in the region: 1. Protection of US forces and citizens in the region. 2. Flow of critical security assistance to Israel as it defends against further Hamas terrorist attacks. 3. Coordination with the Israelis to help secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, to include American citizens. 4. Strengthening of force posture across the region to deter any state or nonstate actors from escalating the crisis beyond Gaza.

Points 2 and 3 are generally moot, as Israel should be capable of dealing with Hamas on its own, as President Joe Biden himself stated. This leaves 1 and 4, which are essentially the whole point of America’s resurgent presence in the Middle East. Obviously, the claim that it’s there to “prevent escalation” is beyond laughable, as the very presence of US forces in the region (or anywhere in the world, for that matter) is the primary source of instability. American occupation forces in various Middle Eastern countries have come under attack on a regular basis since the Gaza conflict escalated. According to various reports, just last month, there were at least 38 attacks on American troops in the area, resulting in 45 casualties (mostly wounded).

Since then, the Pentagon has deployed a massive naval task force that includes thousands of soldiers aboard two CSGs (carrier strike groups) and at least one SSGN (nuclear-powered guided missile submarine). In addition, the B-1B “Lancer” long-range bombers were sent from their home base in Texas to RAF (Royal Air Force) Fairford airbase in the United Kingdom. From there, “Lancers” flew over the Middle East in a show of force. However, those are mostly strategic measures. On a tactical level, the US is escalating airstrikes in Syria. Over the weekend, the USAF attacked what it claims are Iranian-backed troops. And yet, this is not enough, so Washington DC is covertly transferring mercenaries from Ukraine to the Middle East.

El Mundo and other Spanish language outlets have reported that these mercenaries have been transferred to Gaza in support of IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) operations there. The contractors, some of whom are American citizens, were reportedly transferred from the Zaporozhye oblast (region) after suffering heavy losses against Russian forces during the much-touted counteroffensive of the Kiev regime forces. Transferring these forces from Ukraine to Gaza makes sense militarily, as the conflicts are incomparably different. Most mercenaries are much more accustomed to firefights and CQB (close-quarters battle) in urban areas such as the Gaza Strip than fighting a military that has superior air power, artillery, drones, long-range missiles, etc.

Another important aspect of the shift toward the Middle East is the dwindling political support for the Kiev regime. The Republican-dominated Congress doesn’t think it equals in importance to Israel and is unwilling to pledge hundreds of billions more to support a failed investment. This is further exacerbated by the endemic corruption that not only undermines the effectiveness of US “aid”, but also serves as a way to funnel that money straight to the coffers of the GOP’s political opponents. Thus, by starving the Neo-Nazi junta of financial support, the Republicans are also increasing their chances of gaining more political power. This also explains Zelensky’s plea to meet Donald Trump, obviously a desperate attempt to secure continued US support.

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