"Dismantle the Gaza pier?" Topic

The aid pier built on the Gaza coast by the United States for some $200 USD million may be dismantled earlier than planned, according to a Tuesday media report, having so far completed a total of 10 days of actual operations…

Times of Israel: link

I thought it was already self dismantling. 😉

Indeed.

$200 USD million to bring in 137 trucks.

Egypt won't allow in aid because they don't feel like it.

Israel opened a crossing but Hamas attacks in regularly.

The pier made everyone feel like we were doing something, so that's probably worth $200 USD million. I wonder what would have happened if that money was used as a carrot to get Egypt to open a crossing. I guess Hamas would have attacked that, though.

The insolubility of the problem is fascinating.

Yes, and only at a cost of $20 USD million a day!

"Yes, and only at a cost of $20 USD USD million a day!"

Yes, but you have to look at it from the perspective of the administration: "It's not our money. It comes from the peons… Opps I mean taxpayers, so why should we care. The Piper's bill will come due long after our deaths. Meanwhile we garner some cheap votes and good publicity. Why should we care?" 😉

Laugh… but I feel that is how they really think. Meanwhile, the national debt is nearing $35 USD trillion dollars.

I think Egypt is uneasy about opening the Rafah entry point, fearing a stampede out of Gaza. It'd be bad for Egypt to allow Gazans in as a) Palestinians have a long history of being the worst house guests in the history of house guests, and b) being kindred souls of the Muslim Brotherhood, a numerous fundamentalist segment of Egyptian society the national government is struggling to keep placate.

Of course an armed effort to keep the Gazans out would be a PR nightmare, drawing condemnation from the world and outrage from the Brotherhood.

The Gazans have proven adept at using everyday items to make rockets. Ihave to think they'd be as adept at making ladders.

"The insolubility of the problem is fascinating."

No, the solution is actually quite simple; Throw the supplies over the wall with catapults… ;-)

Egypt is not the only country in the Middle East who does not want them. They seem to be the Herpes of the Middle East.

Hamas is in a win win position. Israel's are still dying and Israel is being blamed.

Why would they change the status quo? The Gaza population mean nothing to them.

The pier sounded like a good idea … but did not workout. So continue to do airdrops. Some may not starve, will have med supplies, etc. But as long the Hamas leaders think it is OK to use the people are pawns. To fit their agenda, many, many more will die one way or another.

With the useful dupes rioting and supporting Hamas in the US. Hamas may think they are winning … But in the long run, the Gaza Strip is rubbled to the level of e.g. Stalingrad. So many of Hamas and the Palestinians are dead or will be.

Egypt wisely does not want a flood of refugees to cross their border. All they have to do is watch the daily US news feeds. Open borders are not a solution. But a very, very, bad idea.

This whole episode makes the military look incompetent.

The military often looks incompetent when politicians ask them to do things that aren't their job and then hobble them in various ways. If the politicians said, "feed the people of Gaza and we don't care how you do it," there would be a very different outcome.

Throw the supplies over the wall with catapults… ;-)

The catapults would cost $200 USD million and deliver 137 tons of supplies (squashed) before being shut down. And someone would claim they landed on orphanages.

This whole episode makes the military look incompetent.

Sadly yes, but I think that is not an accurate assessment.

The military often looks incompetent when politicians ask them to do things that aren't their job and then hobble them in various ways. If the politicians said, "feed the people of Gaza and we don't care how you do it," there would be a very different outcome.

Bingo !! E.g. we saw the debacle in A'stan when the military was not allowed to plan, prep, etc. and do their job. More than one GEN, etc. made in clear, what happened was not the Military's plan. And it cost the US in many ways. Including 13 KIA'd plus many WIA'd who were better than those that sent them into that mess.

The Military takes an oath to follow the orders of the POTUS[the CinC]. But sometimes those at that level should make it a point to listen more to their COLS, GENs, etc. Not their appointed staff with not any really any military experience, training and understanding of military history. Intellectual academics should stay in the classroom. Where they can't really hurt anybody. Leave the military decisions up the professionals.

Decisions should not be made based on optics, political considerations, the next election, etc.

However, based on the Military's oath even if the orders of the POTUS are e.g. "ridiculous", as long as they are legal orders the Military must try to make those orders "work" …