Strategic Issues
The Intercept website recently uncovered a hidden base called Har Keren, and it seems like the United States is quietly expanding it.
The Secret Base
The Intercept report, written by Klein Klippenstein and Daniel Boguslaw, explains that the US government documents hint at an American military presence near the Gaza Strip. This secret base, known as "Site 512," is located on a mountain about 32 kilometres away from the Gaza border.
Shhh... It's a Secret!
Even though President Joe Biden and the White House claim that there are no plans to send American forces to Israel during its conflict with Hamas, this secret military base already exists. Government contracts and budget documents reveal that it's actually growing.
Monitoring the Sky
Site 512 is a radar facility that keeps an eye on the sky, searching for missile attacks on Israel. Interestingly, these radars didn't detect any rockets fired by Hamas on October 7 because they were focused on Iran, which is more than 1,127 kilometers away.
What's in a Name?
The Pentagon tried its best to hide the true nature of this $35.8 million site. In some records, they described it as a "secret project located all over the world," while other times, they called it a "life support facility." It's like a barracks for soldiers, you know?
Typical Confusion
This kind of confusion is common when the Pentagon wants to hide military sites. Site 512 was previously referred to as a Cooperative Security Site, which sounds like a low-cost, low-footprint presence. But in reality, it can accommodate up to 1,000 soldiers!
Supporting Operations
Paul Pillar, a former senior analyst at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center, believes that this base might be used to support operations in other parts of the Middle East. If the US acknowledged that it was operating from Israel or cooperating with Israel, it could cause negative reactions.
A Rare Confession
In 2017, there was a rare acknowledgment of the American military presence in Israel. The two countries opened a military site, which was considered the first American military base on Israeli territory. However, the US military quickly denied it, saying it was just a "living facility" for American service members working at an Israeli base.
Confronting Iran
Interestingly, "Site 512" was not created to deal with threats from Palestinian militants. Its main purpose is to protect Israel from Iranian medium-range missiles. The US government has been focusing heavily on Iran, even doubling the number of combat aircraft in the region and deploying two aircraft carriers off the coast of Israel.
Why All the Secrecy?
According to David Fine, a professor of anthropology at American University, the secrecy surrounding these military bases might be a result of past US administrations trying to avoid taking sides in the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflicts. However, in recent years, it seems like the US wants to publicly declare its support for Israel.
Source: The Intercept
