5 Reasons Biden’s Troop Deployment Could Ignite a New Conflict in the Middle East

The Biden administration’s deployment of U.S. troops and the THAAD anti-missile system to Israel marks a significant escalation in U.S. involvement amid ongoing conflict. Despite the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Biden’s dual approach allows Israel to operate militarily while maintaining diplomatic ties. Experts warn this could entangle the U.S. further, risking broader regional conflict without congressional approval.

CONTENTS:

• Troop deployment raises legal concerns.
• Letter highlights U.S. humanitarian concerns.
• Deployment shows U.S. military entanglement.
• Troop deployment raises legal accountability issues.
• Biden’s deployment escalates U.S. involvement.

5 Reasons Biden’s Troop Deployment Could Ignite a New Conflict in the Middle East

Troop deployment raises legal concerns

The recent deployment of a sophisticated U.S. anti-missile system to Israel, accompanied by 100 troops to operate it, signifies a notable increase in U.S. involvement in Israel’s expanding conflict, which Washington has already heavily supported financially. This deployment is intended to prepare for a potential Iranian response to an anticipated Israeli strike on Iran. However, it raises legal concerns regarding U.S. involvement, especially as President Joe Biden’s administration faces mounting criticism for its steadfast backing of Israel.

Simultaneously, U.S. officials are trying to assert authority by hinting at the enforcement of U.S. laws that restrict military aid to nations that obstruct humanitarian assistance—an issue Israel has been accused of in Gaza. Two significant developments highlight the administration’s inconsistent stance: the announcement of troop deployment and a letter urging Israel to enhance humanitarian conditions in Gaza or face unspecified repercussions.

5 Reasons Biden’s Troop Deployment During a press briefing, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller was unable to clarify the potential consequences for Israel if it failed to meet U.S. demands or explain how this situation differed from previous, unmet threats by the Biden administration to cut military aid. When pressed for details, Miller stated, “I’m not gonna speak to that today.”

Letter highlights U.S. humanitarian concerns

5 Reasons Biden’s Troop Deployment A leaked letter from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, addressed to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, urged the implementation of specific “concrete measures” to improve the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, with a 30-day deadline.

Earlier this year, the U.S. had briefly paused the delivery of thousands of bombs to Israel while Israeli officials planned to escalate operations in southern Gaza, but resumed shipments soon after, continuing to supply Israel with weapons despite its intensified assaults in Gaza and later in Lebanon.

Brian Finucane, a former legal adviser to the U.S. State Department and senior adviser at the International Crisis Group, commented that the joint letter reflects a significant level of concern and a subtle threat regarding potential consequences under various legal and policy standards. However, it remains uncertain whether the Biden administration will follow through on these threats.

5 Reasons Biden’s Troop Deployment Finucane emphasized that legal standards have existed throughout the conflict, but the Biden administration has not enforced them. He suggested that the severe situation in northern Gaza might prompt a shift in political calculations, potentially leading to the implementation of U.S. laws. He also noted that the 30-day deadline would expire after the upcoming U.S. presidential election. “They may feel that whatever political constraints the administration may have felt it was operating under, they may feel less constrained by,” he said.

In response to inquiries about the election’s influence on U.S. actions, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller asserted that it was “not a factor at all.” However, Annelle Sheline, a former State Department official who resigned in protest of the administration’s Israel policy, disagreed. She interpreted the letter’s timing as an attempt to appeal to undecided voters and those in swing states who oppose the administration’s unwavering support for Israel, expressing skepticism about any actual consequences.

Deployment shows U.S. military entanglement

5 Reasons Biden’s Troop Deployment While it’s uncertain if the U.S. will act on its threats, the recent deployment of troops to Israel signals a strong commitment to ongoing American support, regardless of the worsening humanitarian crisis. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, a sophisticated missile defense technology designed to intercept short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, enhances Israel’s already extensive anti-missile capabilities as it considers its response to a recent Iranian missile attack. President Biden stated that the system’s deployment aims “to defend Israel.”

This announcement coincided with Iranian officials warning that the U.S. was endangering its troops by sending them to operate missile systems in Israel. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Aragchi, emphasized in a statement that Iran has no limits in defending its people and interests, despite efforts to prevent a wider conflict in the region. The troop deployment further entangles the U.S. in a potential war, even as U.S. officials profess a commitment to diplomatic solutions.

5 Reasons Biden’s Troop Deployment Brad Parker, a lawyer and associate director of policy at the Center for Constitutional Rights, criticized President Biden for reinforcing Israeli leaders’ positions rather than pushing for de-escalation. Parker and other legal experts argue that the Biden administration is using narrow and strained legal justifications to support its unilateral actions under U.S. law, while also being complicit under international humanitarian law due to the support it has provided to Israel, which has violated wartime laws.

Parker noted that the administration has tried to frame the bolstering of troop deployments as isolated incidents. However, this creates a broader pattern of U.S. forces becoming involved in potential hostilities without the necessary congressional authorization, which is legally required. He expressed concern that a “lame duck president” is relying on limited legal interpretations that contradict the clear intent of U.S. law to justify a significant military presence in a conflict that, in part, stems from his administration’s destructive and harmful policies.

Troop deployment raises legal accountability issues

5 Reasons Biden’s Troop Deployment Experts warn that the deployment of U.S. troops prepared for combat without congressional approval, as President Biden is currently doing, could invoke U.S. laws that mandate reporting to congressional committees. If the deployed troops were to engage in specific actions, such as using THAAD missiles, it would initiate a 60-day timeline for either their withdrawal or for Congress to authorize further military engagement.

Oona Hathaway, director of the Center for Global Legal Challenges at Yale Law School, emphasized to Al Jazeera that this situation qualifies as introducing U.S. armed forces “into hostilities or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated,” according to federal law governing the president’s authority in armed conflicts. As such, she argues, it should be authorized by Congress.

5 Reasons Biden’s Troop Deployment However, the Biden administration has remained largely silent regarding these legal implications. Brian Finucane pointed out that the administration appears to be avoiding acknowledgment of this law, which imposes constraints, including the 60-day limit on hostilities. He explained that recognizing the law would limit the administration’s options: it could either halt its actions or seek war authorization from Congress, neither of which it prefers to do.

This is not the first instance of the administration minimizing its legal obligations while engaging the U.S. in foreign conflicts. For example, the U.S. has been involved in military operations against Yemen’s Houthi rebels since October 7 without congressional authorization. The Biden administration has framed these operations as acts of “self-defense,” a rationale it may use again in this context.

Annelle Sheline, a former State Department official, noted that Congress has not demanded the administration clarify how Iranian actions against Israel threaten U.S. security. She suggested that Biden might be anticipating a scenario where Iran attacks, prompting Congress to support a declaration of war.

Biden’s deployment escalates U.S. involvement

5 Reasons Biden’s Troop Deployment The Biden administration’s decision to deploy an advanced anti-missile system to Israel, along with troops to operate it, marks a significant escalation in U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, the U.S. has publicly asserted its desire to avoid a regional war. President Biden has taken a dual approach: allowing Israel to conduct its military operations in Gaza while using U.S. diplomatic and military resources to prevent further escalation.

Despite the severe consequences of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which have drawn allegations of genocide, Biden sent Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken multiple times to the region to maintain American alliances. The U.S. has also conducted airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi forces, who have attacked Israeli interests, and targeted Shia militias in Iraq and Syria, all while trying to keep the American-Arab coalition intact. However, Biden has refrained from exerting significant pressure on Israel, which has been accused by a UN investigation of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

According to Brown University’s Costs of War project, the Biden administration has provided $17.9 billion in military assistance to Israel since October 2023, with little action taken against Israel’s military actions in Iran or its invasion of Lebanon.

The deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system highlights the fragile security situation faced by Israel. After a year of conflict, Israel has yet to achieve its objectives, as Hamas continues to launch rockets, and Hezbollah has increased its attacks following Israel’s incursion into Lebanon.

Recently, a Hezbollah drone strike killed four Israeli soldiers, and on October 1, Iran executed a significant missile attack against Israel, which, despite a high interception rate, still resulted in hits on Israeli air bases. As Israel prepares for potential retaliatory actions against Iran, the U.S. finds it essential to strengthen its ally’s defenses.

5 Reasons Biden’s Troop Deployment This situation underscores Israel’s heavy reliance on U.S. security and defense support, providing Washington with considerable leverage over Tel Aviv. Strangely, the Biden administration has not yet utilized this leverage, even as Israel’s military actions have escalated in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, and Lebanon. Without intervention from Washington to curb its closest ally’s aggressive behavior, this cycle of escalation could pull the U.S. further into the conflict, leading to dire consequences for all involved.