Introduction

An October 18 article by Nick Allen in London’s Daily Mail confirms that the U.S. had  “foreknowledge” of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack directed against Israeli civilians.

The report acknowledges that:

“Within hours of the horrific onslaught on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7 the U.S. began moving warships, jets and special forces to the region.”

Known to military analysts, such a deployment requires considerable advanced preparation and cannot be improvised  “within hours.” 

This fits in with the scenario that the Hamas attack initiated on October 7, 2023 was a “false flag” operation on behalf of Israel’s military and intelligence apparatus (which also coordinates such actions with the U.S.). 

Amply documented, Hamas was created by Israel in 1987 and funded by hundreds of millions of dollars via Qatar, a transfer facilitated by Israel. 

“The Hamas Partnership” is confirmed by Netanyahu 

“Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas,” he [Netanyahu] told a meeting of his Likud party’s Knesset members in March 2019. “This is part of our strategy – to isolate the Palestinians in Gaza from the Palestinians in the West Bank.” (Haaretz, October 9, 2023, emphasis added)

“Transferring Money to Hamas” on behalf of Netanyahu is confirmed by a Times of Israel October 8, 2023 Report:

“Hamas was treated as a partner to the detriment of the Palestinian Authority to prevent Abbas from moving towards creating a Palestinian State. Hamas was promoted from a terrorist group to an organization with which Israel conducted negotiations through Egypt, and which was allowed to receive suitcases containing millions of dollars from Qatar through the Gaza crossings.” (emphasis added)

These facts have been detailed in articles by Prof. Michel Chossudovsky, Dr. Philip Giraldi (former intelligence officer for the CIA) and veteran reporter Seymour Hersh:

An arrangement was made with Qatar, which began sending hundreds of millions of dollars to the Hamas leadership with Israeli approval. The insider told me that “Bibi was convinced that he would have more control over Hamas with the Qatari money” —let them occasionally fire rockets into southern Israel and have access to jobs inside Israel—than he would with the Palestinian Authority. He took that risk. (Seymour Hersh)

The Daily Mail article is titled:

“How the U.S. is ramping up firepower in the Middle East to deter Iran from starting WW III – with an armada of 13 warships, over 100 fighter jets, cruise missiles, spy planes and 2,000 amphibious special forces massing in the region.” 

The first sentence of the report reads:

“The United States is amassing a war machine in the Middle East in a clear message to Iran to stay on the sidelines as Israel prepares to launch a ground invasion into Gaza to destroy the terror group Hamas.” (emphasis added)

So the very quick, dangerous and aggressive massive deployment of U.S. forces to the Israel area is presented in the Daily Mail article as a defensive measure aimed at  deterring Iran.

Even for the obedient pro-imperialist Western mainstream media, this is an incredible stretch.

However, if one reads the body of the article carefully it becomes clear that it is the U.S. that is starting World War III not Iran.  The content of the article contradicts the title which happens sometimes in the mainstream press given its well-known editorial restrictions on telling the truth.

Massive U.S. Military Deployment 

The article details massive military escalation by the U.S. that is so extremely provocative as to almost guarantee World War III.

In contrast, the article fails to point out even one single deployment of troops or ships by Iran aimed at Israel or the U.S. after October 7.

The Daily Mail describes Washington’s war machine build-up and deployment as:

“Two aircraft carriers including the world’s largest – the USS Gerald R. Ford – have been sent to the eastern Mediterranean, along with scores of planes that could carry out air strikes.

The carrier, which has a nuclear reactor, is replete with an arsenal of weapons like Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles and the Mk-15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, which is used to fire armor piercing bullets.

Many more aircraft, including F-15 and F-16 fighter jet squadrons, have been dispatched to US military bases in the region, doubling the number available in the Persian Gulf.

Around 2,000 U.S. Marines trained in special operations and amphibious landings have also been redirected from an exercise in Kuwait, and are now on board two warships somewhere off the coast of Bahrain.

The Pentagon is also preparing an additional 2,000 Army and Air Force personnel as a potential rapid response force.

The main aim of the U.S. military ramp up is to deter Iran and its proxies from making any aggressive move.

A second aircraft carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, will arrive in the eastern Mediterranean in about a week, also accompanied by four other warships.

The carrier, also known as the ‘Ike,’ has 5,000 sailors and can bring up to nine squadrons of aircraft including fighter jets and helicopters.

Even before the new influx of firepower the U.S. had over 30,000 troops in the region. That includes 13,000 in Qatar, 7,000 in Bahrain, at least 3,000 each in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait, 2,500 in Iraq, and 2,500 in Turkey.

Incirlik Air Base in Turkey is also home to 50 American B61 nuclear bombs.

Additonally, around 2,000 U.S Marines with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit had just arrived in Kuwait for an exercise when the Hamas attack in Israel happened.” (Daily Mail, emphasis added)

Copyright Daily Mail: The U.S. is ramping up its forces in the Middle East

Who is Planning to Start World War III: America or Iran? 

So which country is going to start World War III, the U.S. that is sending not one but two aircraft carriers bristling with attack aircraft and soldiers to the Israel area or Iran that is sending nothing significant to the same region presently?

Obviously, the alarming U.S. military escalation is aimed at starting a war not preventing one and the Orwellian language of the Daily Mail article fits in well with the standard CIA technique of blaming Washington’s enemies for “what it wants to do itself’.

Asad Ismi is an award-winning writer on international politics and an expert on U.S. imperialism. He has written on the politics of 70 countries including nine in the Middle East.

He is a Research Associate  of the Centre for Research on Globalization CRG). For his publications and documentaries visit www.asadismi.info.  

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Below in annex are selected excerpts and link to the Daily Mail article

“How the U.S. is Ramping up Firepower in the Middle East

To Deter Iran from Starting WWIII”

By Nick Allen

Daily Mail,

October 18, 2023

Selected Excerpt

Within hours of the horrific onslaught on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7 the U.S. began moving warships, jets and special forces to the region.

Two aircraft carriers including the world’s largest – the USS Gerald R. Ford – have been sent to the eastern Mediterranean, along with scores of planes that could carry out air strikes.

…

The USS Gerald R. Ford had just completed an exercise with the Italian Navy before being ordered on its latest mission.

It has a crew of 5,000 and carries 90 warplanes – including F-18 Super Hornet jets, F-35 strike fighters and A-10 tank busters.

The carrier, which has a nuclear reactor, is replete with an arsenal of weapons like Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles and the Mk-15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, which is used to fire armor piercing bullets.

U.S. Marines are on the move in the Middle East after cutting short an exercise in Kuwait (Photo: 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit)

…

Much of the U.S. operation would be expected to be coordinated from the Forward HQ of U.S. Central Command at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. base in the Middle East.

A spokesman told the Military Times: ‘Should they be ordered, they could participate in some type of operation in support of Israel.’

Meanwhile, a small team of special operations forces has also been sent to Israel to help recover hostages, including Americans, being held by Hamas in Gaza.

…

‘No decisions have been made to deploy any forces at this time. The Defense Secretary will continue to assess our force posture and remain in close contact with allies and partners.’

To Read Complete Daily Mail article, click here

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Our thanks to The Daily Mail for having brought this article to our attention

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Featured image: An Hawkeye spy plane launches from the flight deck of the world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (Photo by US Navy)