Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu Owes U.S. Taxpayers US$320 Million Plus Vyigrysh For Unnecessary Gaza Pier. What Does It Take To Embarrass President Biden? Not Borrowing US$320 Million
What Does It Take To Embarrass President Biden? Not US$320 Million.
Rather Than Hold Accountable The Government Of The State Of Israel, Biden-Harris Administration First Instinct Is To Dig Into The Pockets Of United States Taxpayers.
A Twenty-First Century President Of The United States Trapped In The Mindset Of A Twentieth Century Man.
State Of Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu Owes U.S. Taxpayers US$320 Million Plus Vyigrysh.
Biden-Harris Administration Should Send Invoice For US$320 Million Gaza Pier To Netanyahu Administration.
To President Biden, This Makes Sense For His “Ironclad” Relationship With The State Of Israel?
United States (and other country) taxpayers deliver products to island of Cyprus;
Load products onto vessel at Port of Larnaca;
Vessel travels 211 miles (15 hours) to coast of Gaza;
Vessel anchors off coast of Gaza;
Products transferred to truck;
Smaller vessel with truck anchors at dock anchored to Gaza;
Truck delivers products to end of dock onto territory of Gaza;
Truck returns to smaller vessel;
Organizations deliver products into Gaza.
“Because land crossings could bring in all the needed aid if Israeli officials allowed it, the U.S.-built pier-and-sea route “is a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist.”’ Scott Paul, an Associate Director, Oxfam Committee for Famine Relief (OXFAM)
United States Taxpayers Again Asked By Biden-Harris Administration And Members Of The 118th United States Congress To Borrow For A Useless Project.
Another USAID Managed Debacle- They Need Funds Like An Addict Needs Drugs; Seeking Relevancy- Despite False Economics.
Floating Pier Makes Sense Only To Bureaucrats And Politicians.
Taxpayers In The State Of Israel Should Be Paying For Pier Rather Than Taxpayers In The United States.
“The cost has not just risen. It has exploded. This dangerous effort with marginal benefit will now cost the American taxpayers at least $320 million to operate the pier for only 90 days.” Roger Wicker (R- Mississippi), United States Senate
Biden-Harris Administration Knew In March 2024 That Gaza Temporary Dock Would Cost United States Taxpayers US$160 Million, But Refused To Disclose. Now, Cost Is US$320 Million For Dock Whose Lifespan May Be Ninety Days.
The White House continues to struggle with presenting a legitimate narrative where US$320 million in additional United States taxpayer borrowing is justified when the government of the State of Israel continues to receive billions of dollars in military-related equipment and ammunition and then chooses to constrict humanitarian assistance which is required because of decisions implemented by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza.
The White House
Washington DC
17 May 2024
John Kirby, National Security Communications Advisor
excerpts
MR. KIRBY: So, earlier today, I think you all know, the first shipments of humanitarian assistance arrived on the shores of Gaza through the multinational humanitarian maritime corridor that the President announced during his State of the Union Address. As we speak, additional aid from the United States and other countries is arriving in Cyprus, where it will be screened by Israeli authorities and loaded onto ships for delivery via the maritime corridor -- the temporary pier that we’ve been talking about. And here you can see trucks, just today -- these inc- -- the first truck includes palates from the UAE, as a matter of fact, heading across that causeway -- that temporary causeway onto the beach. And once in Gaza, once on the beach, the aid will be distributed to those in need by the United Nations.
So, in less than two months, the United States was able to assemble a complex, multinational logistical mechanism to facilitate the delivery of lifesaving assistance in Gaza, to galvanize commitments from partners around the world, and to leverage the United Nations’ logistical capabilities to facilitate the distribution of this aid inside the -- inside the -- Gaza. So, this is a humanitarian effort. And contrary to what we’ve been seeing out there in the information space, particularly in the region, it is designed solely -- only -- for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. There’s no other purpose for this than humanitarian assistance.
And we’re obviously grateful for all the U.S. service members and our teams at USAID and the State Department for their tireless work over the past few weeks to get this going. Through the humanitarian maritime corridor, USAID plans to provide initial contributions of more than 170 metric tons of nutrient-rich food bars to support 11,000 of the most vulnerable children and adults; ready-to-use therapeutic foods to treat more than 7,200 cases of severe wasting in children; and nearly 90 metric tons of critical supplies, such as plastic sheeting for shelter, jerry cans to hold clean water, and hygiene kits to support more than 33,000 people. And just today, as you’re seeing here, we were able to get more the 300 pallets of some of that material in there.
Now, today was just a start. It was the first day. There’s still work that has to be done to reach what we call “initial operating capability.” But we hope to be able to increase the number of pallets that get in over the coming days and keep that sustainable. And we’ll keep you updated, of course.
All of this assi- -- assistance is in addition to thousands of tons of food and other non-food items that are being provided by a number of international partners, including, as I said, the UAE, the United Kingdom, EU, to name a few, as well as resources to support the overall mission, including critical equipment to move that assistance. We anticipate an increase in the flow of assistance from additional countries and organizations utilizing and steadily scaling up, as I said, the humanitarian maritime corridor every single day that goes by.
In recent days, we’ve seen some progress in the number of trucks entering Gaza via the land crossings as well. Yesterday, more than 360 trucks moved into Gaza. Between April 5th and May 16th, an average of 176 trucks entered Gaza every single day. It’s not enough. I recognize that. We all recognize that. But it’s -- but it is -- it is ongoing, and we’re hoping to get it increased. And, obviously, we’re going to continue to work with Israel to that end.
I do want to make one important point on this before I leave this topic. There is a robust security plan for this effort, and we remain vigilant to potential threats to a- -- to the -- our service members that are working on the pier and humanitarian aid organizations and workers helping with the distribution and the collection at the marshalling area on the -- on the ground. It remains a top priority. We’re going to remain laser-focused on ensuring the safety of everybody involved in this effort.
Q Thank you. So, what is the status of the aid on that first truck that went in? Is it being distributed, or is it still waiting ---
MR. KIRBY: I was told –
Q -- to be distributed?
MR. KIRBY: -- right before coming out here that the U.N. has now taken possession of these first -- these first pallets and are getting them ready for distribution inside Gaza. So, look, I mean, hopefully, by the time we're done here, I mean, some of that stuff will actually be in -- in the mouths of some hungry people, but we'll see.
Q And also, if I may, how confident are you that there's not going to be delays at the other end when -- at the pier end as well?
MR. KIRBY: Look, I mean, it's day one. And as I just said, we got indications here just before I came on out here that some of that aid was already moving into Gaza. That's pretty impressive for day one -- just day one. The inspections are actually happening in Cyprus. And that's -- that's a really important component of this modular system that we've constructed here. So, the inspections are happening before the ships even leave Cyprus and move on down to the eastern coast -- I'm sorry, the Eastern Med, off the coast of Gaza. So, right now, it -- it seems like a very good system in place. But, again, it's day one, so we'll take a look and see how it goes.
Q Are those inspections being done in tandem with anyone else, such as the United States or --
MR. KIRBY: The IDF is responsible for the inspection regime in Cyprus. And as I said, on this first day, it worked well.
Q John, just to follow up what you told me this morning. Were there any conditions that Israel has imposed on certain items in this aid that will get into Gaza? Because, in the past, they wouldn't allow scissors, for example, wheelchairs, other items. Or is it just purely food --
MR. KIRBY: This is really focused -- these -- certainly today and I think in the coming days, it's really going to be focused on food, nutri- -- nutrition. That's really the focus. And there's been no restrictions placed by the Israelis on that.
Q Okay. And then –
MR. KIRBY: And I would -- I’ve got one to add -- one -- one more point. You reminded me that -- that the Israelis and the IDF, in particular, have been enormously helpful and supportive of this effort, this temporary pier and their role in -- on the beach and on the ground in supporting it. They've been very, very helpful -- extremely cooperative.
Q And the distribution, you just said that U- -- U.N. agency is going to be in charge. Is that -- does this include UNRWA? And second, will be any supervision by the IDF or in the steps of distribution, not just offloading of the pier?
MR. KIRBY: I want to be careful here because I don't want to violate operational security issues. As I said in my opening statement, the food will be distributed by the U.N. and other aid organizations. I'll let the U.N. speak to th- -- how they're going to do that. When you get the material ashore, it goes into what we would call a marshalling area. So, it's a part of the beach where it can be placed safely until it can be then head -- head out on trucks into Gaza. And there -- I would just say that there's an adequate security apparatus in place for that purpose. And I think I need to leave it at that.
Q Thank you, Karine. Hi, Admiral. Just quickly to follow up on the military pier. Are U.S. troops guarding it on the ground?
MR. KIRBY: There is a -- not on the ground. So, as I said in my opening statement, there are no U.S. servicemembers in Gaza. There is a small U.S. military component on the pier itself. And they're there really to do sort of two things. One is to provide a modicum of security for it but also to assist with the logistics. I mean, you're going to have ships pulling up to this pier -- not the big cargo ships. They'll -- they'll transport it to smaller ships off the coast of Gaza. Those smaller ships will bring the goods onto the pier, and you're going to need some logistical support to get it from the ships onto the trucks. So, there's a small footprint of U.S. military on the pier, but they will not -- not go into Gaza.
Q How -- how many, when you -- when you say “small”?
MR. KIRBY: I think I'm going to let the Pentagon speak to the numbers. I don't want to -- I don't want to violate that. But it's not -- it's not a huge number.
Q And -- and why is the U.S. confident that Israel will not strike any of the vehicles that are taking aid in? I understand you said that they've been helpful.
MR. KIRBY: They have been extraordinarily cooperative.
Q But have they offered explicit assurances that they will not? I mean, because they attacked the World Food Kitchen cars that were carrying aid.
MR. KIRBY: And they investigated, and they fired people that they thought were at fault, and they apologized for the mistake. And they have tried to improve their deconfliction process. We are not worried about the Israelis striking the convoys of trucks that are coming off of that pier. They are actually participating in helping marshal that material ashore and then get it into Gaza. So, that's not a concern.
Q Thank you, Karine. So, just to clarify, John, the Israelis and the American soldiers -- the small footprint of American soldiers will be working together to marshal these shipments?
MR. KIRBY: There is a small component of U.S. servicemembers on the pier. There are no Israeli Defense Forces on the pier.
Q Oh, thank you. John, I -- you mentioned the U.S. providing some security. I thought the IDF was going to be providing the security, but is there a small component of U.S. forces that are also there providing some security for the pier?
MR. KIRBY: There’s a small component of U.S. servicemembers on the pier, as I said, that will be helping with force protection, of course. I mean –
Q But you can’t speak to the number?
MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to speak to the number. I'll let you -- the Pentagon do that.
Q And then, there's still U.S. forces or U.S. troops offshore, in addition to those on the pier?
MR. KIRBY: There's a -- there's -- there's a Navy component -- there's a -- there's Navy assistance in getting the material onto smaller vessels out further away from the pier, well off the coast, so that those smaller vessels then can transload the material onto the pier. I mean, you've seen the pictures of the pier. It's not practical to bring a big freight or cargo ship up against that thing. I mean, it's anchored to the seabed, but it's temporary. It's not -- you know, there’s not concrete piles in there. So, what we do is we take the stuff off the bigger ships -- all well off the coast -- put it on smaller U.S. Navy vessels. Those smaller U.S. Navy vessels will bring it into the pier and offload it so it can get onto trucks.
Q And just overall, this -- this area has been targeted before by a mortar attack. What is the administration trying to do to prevent and deter an attack from happening again? And -- and what efforts are being done to –
MR. KIRBY: I mean –
Q -- protect those U.S. forces there?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: -- part of my being up here today is a little bit of that to make it clear what this is and what it's not. There's been some bogus stuff out there in the information environment, particularly in the region, that this has some sort of military capacity or operational capacity for the IDF, and it just doesn't. It's nothing more than humanitarian assistance. And we've also passed that message back through the appropriate channels to Hamas so they understand exactly what this is. And look, showing pictures -- you all can get online and see what it is. I mean, we're making no secret about what this thing is and what it's not.
Q Thanks, Karine. Admiral, I know this is day one -- maybe closer to hour one of this pier initiative –
MR. KIRBY: But –
Q -- but -- (laughs) -- you know, even at full capacity, it'll only be a fraction of the amount of aid. Is-
MR. KIRBY: Correct.
Q -- the United States working on or negotiating, figuring out other methods of getting additional aid in via other avenues?
MR. KIRBY: Well, look, there's no better way to do it than the land crossings. There’s just not. And before the war, there was 500 trucks going in a day over a course of different crossings, and we want to get back up to that level if we can. Now, that's a tall order; I get that. And we haven't been able to even get a sustainable 300-plus trucks in a day. But it's important that Rafah open immediately. Other -- other crossings are open, but there's been challenges with getting some of that aid through those crossings, particularly protest activity on the Israeli side. And those delays, those problems have got to be solved. And I have no doubt that Mr. Sullivan will raise those issues as well when he's over there. But this is meant to be additive -- this temporary pier -- additive, not an alternative. There's just no alternative really to getting trucks in on the ground.
Associated Press: “The first cargo ship loaded with food left Cyprus last week and the cargo was transferred to a U.S. military ship, the Roy P. Benavidez, off the coast of Gaza. Military leaders have said the deliveries of aid will begin slowly to ensure the system works. They will start with about 90 truckloads of aid a day through the sea route, and that number will quickly grow to about 150 a day. Aid agencies say that isn’t enough and must be just one part of a broader Israeli effort to open land corridors. Because land crossings could bring in all the needed aid if Israeli officials allowed it, the U.S.-built pier-and-sea route “is a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist,” said Scott Paul, an associate director of the Oxfam humanitarian organization. Under the new sea route, humanitarian aid is dropped off in Cyprus where it will undergo inspection and security checks at Larnaca port. It is then loaded onto ships and taken about 200 miles to the large floating pier built by the U.S. military off the Gaza coast. There, the pallets are transferred onto trucks, driven onto smaller Army boats and then shuttled several miles (kilometers) to the causeway anchored to the beach. The trucks, which are being driven by personnel from another country, will go down the causeway into a secure area on land where they will drop off the aid and immediately turn around and return to the boats. Aid groups will collect the supplies for distribution.”
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