(C) Common Dreams
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After Hamas Attack, U.S. to Send Weapons and Warships to Support Israel [1]
['Eric Schmitt', 'Michael D. Shear', 'More About Eric Schmitt', 'More About Michael D. Shear']
Date: 2023-10-08
A senior Biden administration official said just hours after the attacks that the United States did not have intelligence that Iran was directly involved in planning the assault on Israel. But the official, who requested anonymity to discuss diplomatic and military planning, said Iran had long been deeply connected to Hamas, offering it financial support and military equipment.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program on Sunday morning that the Israeli government had “asked for some specific additional assistance” as the country gears up for what Mr. Netanyahu has warned will be a prolonged conflict.
Mr. Austin said the Biden administration would supply the Israeli armed forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions. U.S. officials declined to be more specific about particular weapons systems, but independent analysts said Israel would likely request more interceptors for its Iron Dome missile defense system as well as bombs and missiles for attack planes.
American officials said on Sunday that they were also working through plans to evacuate thousands of Americans from Israel if necessary in what is called a “noncombatant evacuation.” Pentagon officials emphasized that no decisions have been made but that they were working through options, including one that involves putting some Americans on the Navy ships to get them to safety.
The United States already provides Israel more than $3 billion in military assistance every year, and Mr. Blinken said that much of the equipment from that funding is already “in the pipeline” to be sent to Israel. The Pentagon also has positioned stockpiles of arms and ammunition worth about $2 billion at about six sites throughout Israel. The stockpiles provide weapons and ammunition for the Pentagon to use in Middle East conflicts, and the United States has also allowed Israel access to the supplies in emergencies.
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[1] Url:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/08/us/politics/israel-aid-pentagon-us-hamas.html
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