Note: "Twenty years later, the United States has committed to a permanent presence in Israel." Twenty years after the first Gulf War, and after denying Israel the right to join the coalitions during the second War with Iraq (for fear of having Israelis fighting along side U.S. troops would disturb the Arab/Muslim countries). And during the past ten years after 9/11, exactly how many Muslim countries helped in this War on Terror? We have had U.S. air force bases in other Muslim countries for years and years, armed those same countries to the teeth with U.S. military technology; ignored the fact that many of these Islamic countries are not "friends" of the U.S. and they now have USA technology that is shared among the Arabs/Muslims and could eventually be used against our own troops. For instance, where was bin Laden hiding for over 6 years - in Pakistan. How about Turkey - close friend to Iran, and the first Islamic country our president apologized to for "America's mistakes"! Those apologies haven't done anything to increase America's friendship with either country ... just keep reading the headlines.
At last, the U.S. troops are setting feet down on Holy Land - the Land of Israel - not just for a training exercise, but permanently. How exciting and what a blessing for both America and for Israel!It is a demonstration that there are times when the "best does come last" and the best for the USA's interests is accepting the fact that it is Israel who welcomes and receives our soldiers as a long awaited blessing to their country. I am confident that the presence of our troops in Israel will have great influence in maintaining a certain "calm" in the Middle East - perhaps even slow down the chains rattling among Israel's neighbors.
On January 19, 1991, during the first Gulf War, the United States sent Patriot Missiles and a contingent of U.S. service members into Israel on temporary assignment. This was the least we could do for Israel, which vowed not to respond to Saddam's Scud attacks that reached deep inside Tel Aviv. Yet U.S. forces never found a permanent home inside the Holy Land -- until today.
Twenty years later, the United States has committed to a permanent presence in Israel. According to Defense News, as of September 21, 2011, the United States deployed a high-powered, high-frequency, transportable X-band radar system to Israel along with a small contingent of support personnel. Designed to detect and track ballistic missiles soon after launch, the AN/TPY-2 Transportable Radar Surveillance/Forward Based X-band Transportable (FBX-T), its ancillary components, and some 120 EUCOM personnel are prepared to defeat any Iranian missile attack. Today, these service members make home at Israel's Nevatim Air Base.In an attempt to comfort those who may feel alarmed by this news, rest assured that a U.S. military presence in Israel has been planned for some time now. In fact, since 2007, the U.S. Army solicited contractual opportunities for Nevatim. Solicitation number W912GB-07-R-0013 was released in April 2007, specifically designed for the new construction of two aircraft hangars, hazardous material storage buildings, hangar annex buildings, a dining facility, a utility building, a boom treatment station, part-washing and storage facilities, and a laboratory and workshop building, as well as site development to include roads, parking, taxiways, and landscaping.
In mid-December, Lt.Gen. Frank Gorenc, commander of the U.S.'s Third Air Force based in Germany, visited Israel to finalize plans for the world's largest missile defense exercise, expected to see the deployment of several thousand American soldiers in Israel. Normally, after an exercise, everyone goes home. But that is unlikely for our U.S. forces, considering today's Middle East crisis.
In the coming weeks, thousands of U.S. troops are expected to deploy to Israel, possibly putting Nevatim AFB to the test. They are reportedly bringing with them the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) and a fleet of naval components which will include ship-based Aegis ballistic missile systems. The cost of this exercise would be in the billions.
With Iran beefing up its military might, bolstering its defense in the Strait of Hormuz, and recently threatening the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, not only are U.S. forces headed to Israel, but some Israeli forces are forecasted to take permanent residence in Stuttgart, Germany -- home of United States European Command (EUCOM).
President Obama recently announced that a closure of the Strait of Hormuz would be unacceptable and vowed to take whatever measures are necessary to keep the vital shipping lane open. While U.S. forces are expected to deploy to Israel for an "exercise," could this deployment turn into something else altogether? Time will tell, but considering President Obama's vow, it's not looking good.
Kerry Patton, a combat service disabled veteran, is a senior analyst for WIKISTRAT. He has worked in South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, focusing on intelligence and security and interviewing current and former terrorists, including members of the Taliban. He is the author of Sociocultural Intelligence: The New Discipline of Intelligence Studies and the children's book American Patriotism. You can follow him on Facebook.
Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/01/us_army_to_deploy_to_israel_for_huge_missile_exercise.html#ixzz1iybUucv8