/*!
 * Dialogs Manager v4.9.3
 * https://github.com/kobizz/dialogs-manager
 *
 * Copyright Kobi Zaltzberg
 * Released under the MIT license
 * https://github.com/kobizz/dialogs-manager/blob/master/LICENSE.txt
 */

(function($, global) {
	'use strict';

	/*
	 * Dialog Manager
	 */
	var DialogsManager = {
		widgetsTypes: {},
		createWidgetType: function(typeName, properties, Parent) {

			if (!Parent) {
				Parent = this.Widget;
			}

			var WidgetType = function() {

				Parent.apply(this, arguments);
			};

			var prototype = WidgetType.prototype = new Parent(typeName);

			prototype.types = prototype.types.concat([typeName]);

			$.extend(prototype, properties);

			prototype.constructor = WidgetType;

			WidgetType.extend = function(typeName, properties) {

				return DialogsManager.createWidgetType(typeName, properties, WidgetType);
			};

			return WidgetType;
		},
		addWidgetType: function(typeName, properties, Parent) {

			if (properties && properties.prototype instanceof this.Widget) {
				return this.widgetsTypes[typeName] = properties;
			}

			return this.widgetsTypes[typeName] = this.createWidgetType(typeName, properties, Parent);
		},
		getWidgetType: function(widgetType) {

			return this.widgetsTypes[widgetType];
		}
	};

	/*
	 * Dialog Manager instances constructor
	 */
	DialogsManager.Instance = function() {

		var self = this,
			elements = {},
			settings = {};

		var initElements = function() {

			elements.body = $('body');
		};

		var initSettings = function(options) {

			var defaultSettings = {
				classPrefix: 'dialog',
				effects: {
					show: 'fadeIn',
					hide: 'fadeOut'
				}
			};

			$.extend(settings, defaultSettings, options);
		};

		this.createWidget = function(widgetType, properties) {

			var WidgetTypeConstructor = DialogsManager.getWidgetType(widgetType),
				widget = new WidgetTypeConstructor(widgetType);

			properties = properties || {};

			widget.init(self, properties);

			return widget;
		};

		this.getSettings = function(property) {

			if (property) {
				return settings[property];
			}

			return Object.create(settings);
		};

		this.init = function(settings) {

			initSettings(settings);

			initElements();

			return self;
		};

		self.init();
	};

	/*
	 * Widget types constructor
	 */
	DialogsManager.Widget = function(widgetName) {

		var self = this,
			settings = {},
			events = {},
			elements = {},
			hideTimeOut = 0,
			baseClosureMethods = ['refreshPosition'];

		var bindEvents = function() {

			var windows = [elements.window];

			if (elements.iframe) {
				windows.push(jQuery(elements.iframe[0].contentWindow));
			}

			windows.forEach(function(window) {
				if (settings.hide.onEscKeyPress) {
					window.on('keyup', onWindowKeyUp);
				}

				if (settings.hide.onOutsideClick) {
					window[0].addEventListener('click', hideOnOutsideClick, true);
				}

				if (settings.hide.onOutsideContextMenu) {
					window[0].addEventListener('contextmenu', hideOnOutsideClick, true);
				}

				if (settings.position.autoRefresh) {
					window.on('resize', self.refreshPosition);
				}
			});

			if (settings.hide.onClick || settings.hide.onBackgroundClick) {
				elements.widget.on('click', hideOnClick);
			}
		};

		var callEffect = function(intent, params) {

			var effect = settings.effects[intent],
				$widget = elements.widget;

			if ('function' === typeof effect) {
				effect.apply($widget, params);
			} else {

				if ($widget[effect]) {
					$widget[effect].apply($widget, params);
				} else {
					throw 'Reference Error: The effect ' + effect + ' not found';
				}
			}
		};

		var ensureClosureMethods = function() {

			var closureMethodsNames = baseClosureMethods.concat(self.getClosureMethods());

			$.each(closureMethodsNames, function() {

				var methodName = this,
					oldMethod = self[methodName];

				self[methodName] = function() {

					oldMethod.apply(self, arguments);
				};
			});
		};

		var fixIframePosition = function(position) {
			if (! position.my) {
				return;
			}

			var horizontalOffsetRegex = /left|right/,
				extraOffsetRegex = /([+-]\d+)?$/,
				iframeOffset = elements.iframe.offset(),
				iframeWindow = elements.iframe[0].contentWindow,
				myParts = position.my.split(' '),
				fixedParts = [];

			if (myParts.length === 1) {
				if (horizontalOffsetRegex.test(myParts[0])) {
					myParts.push('center');
				} else {
					myParts.unshift('center');
				}
			}

			myParts.forEach(function(part, index) {
				var fixedPart = part.replace(extraOffsetRegex, function(partOffset) {
					partOffset = +partOffset || 0;

					if (! index) {
						partOffset += iframeOffset.left - iframeWindow.scrollX;
					} else {
						partOffset += iframeOffset.top - iframeWindow.scrollY;
					}

					if (partOffset >= 0) {
						partOffset = '+' + partOffset;
					}

					return partOffset;
				});

				fixedParts.push(fixedPart);
			});

			position.my = fixedParts.join(' ');
		};

		var hideOnClick = function(event) {

			if (isContextMenuClickEvent(event)) {
				return;
			}

			if (settings.hide.onClick) {

				if ($(event.target).closest(settings.selectors.preventClose).length) {
					return;
				}
			} else if (event.target !== this) {
				return;
			}

			self.hide();
		};

		var isIgnoredTarget = function(event) {

			if (! settings.hide.ignore) {
				return false;
			}

			return !! $(event.target).closest(settings.hide.ignore).length;
		};

		var hideOnOutsideClick = function(event) {

			if (isContextMenuClickEvent(event) || $(event.target).closest(elements.widget).length || isIgnoredTarget(event)) {
				return;
			}

			self.hide();
		};

		var initElements = function() {

			self.addElement('widget');

			self.addElement('header');

			self.addElement('message');

			self.addElement('window', window);

			self.addElement('body', document.body);

			self.addElement('container', settings.container);

			if (settings.iframe) {
				self.addElement('iframe', settings.iframe);
			}

			if (settings.closeButton) {
				if ( settings.closeButtonClass ) {
					//  Backwards compatibility
					settings.closeButtonOptions.iconClass = settings.closeButtonClass;
				}

				const $button = $('<a>', settings.closeButtonOptions.attributes),
					$buttonIcon = $(settings.closeButtonOptions.iconElement).addClass(settings.closeButtonOptions.iconClass);

				$button.append($buttonIcon);

				self.addElement('closeButton', $button);
			}

			var id = self.getSettings('id');

			if (id) {
				self.setID(id);
			}

			var classes = [];

			$.each(self.types, function() {
				classes.push(settings.classes.globalPrefix + '-type-' + this);
			});

			classes.push(self.getSettings('className'));

			elements.widget
				.addClass(classes.join(' '))
				.attr({
					'aria-modal': true,
					'role': 'document',
					'tabindex': 0,
				});
		};

		var initSettings = function(parent, userSettings) {

			var parentSettings = $.extend(true, {}, parent.getSettings());

			settings = {
				headerMessage: '',
				message: '',
				effects: parentSettings.effects,
				classes: {
					globalPrefix: parentSettings.classPrefix,
					prefix: parentSettings.classPrefix + '-' + widgetName,
					preventScroll: parentSettings.classPrefix + '-prevent-scroll',
				},
				selectors: {
					preventClose: '.' + parentSettings.classPrefix + '-prevent-close',
				},
				container: 'body',
				preventScroll: false,
				iframe: null,
				closeButton: false,
				closeButtonOptions: {
					iconClass: parentSettings.classPrefix + '-close-button-icon',
					attributes: {
						role: 'button',
						'tabindex': 0,
						'aria-label': 'Close',
						href: '#',
					},
					iconElement: '<i>',
				},
				position: {
					element: 'widget',
					my: 'center',
					at: 'center',
					enable: true,
					autoRefresh: false,
				},
				hide: {
					auto: false,
					autoDelay: 5000,
					onClick: false,
					onOutsideClick: true,
					onOutsideContextMenu: false,
					onBackgroundClick: true,
					onEscKeyPress: true,
					ignore: '',
				},
			};

			$.extend(true, settings, self.getDefaultSettings(), userSettings);

			initSettingsEvents();
		};

		var initSettingsEvents = function() {

			$.each(settings, function(settingKey) {

				var eventName = settingKey.match(/^on([A-Z].*)/);

				if (!eventName) {
					return;
				}

				eventName = eventName[1].charAt(0).toLowerCase() + eventName[1].slice(1);

				self.on(eventName, this);
			});
		};

		var isContextMenuClickEvent = function(event) {
			// Firefox fires `click` event on every `contextmenu` event.
			return event.type === 'click' && event.button === 2;
		};

		var normalizeClassName = function(name) {

			return name.replace(/([a-z])([A-Z])/g, function() {

				return arguments[1] + '-' + arguments[2].toLowerCase();
			});
		};

		var onWindowKeyUp = function(event) {
			var ESC_KEY = 27,
				keyCode = event.which;

			if (ESC_KEY === keyCode) {
				self.hide();
			}
		};

		var unbindEvents = function() {

			var windows = [elements.window];

			if (elements.iframe) {
				windows.push(jQuery(elements.iframe[0].contentWindow));
			}

			windows.forEach(function(window) {
				if (settings.hide.onEscKeyPress) {
					window.off('keyup', onWindowKeyUp);
				}

				if (settings.hide.onOutsideClick) {
					window[0].removeEventListener('click', hideOnOutsideClick, true);
				}

				if (settings.hide.onOutsideContextMenu) {
					window[0].removeEventListener('contextmenu', hideOnOutsideClick, true);
				}

				if (settings.position.autoRefresh) {
					window.off('resize', self.refreshPosition);
				}
			});

			if (settings.hide.onClick || settings.hide.onBackgroundClick) {
				elements.widget.off('click', hideOnClick);
			}
		};

		this.addElement = function(name, element, classes) {

			var $newElement = elements[name] = $(element || '<div>'),
				normalizedName = normalizeClassName(name);

			classes = classes ? classes + ' ' : '';

			classes += settings.classes.globalPrefix + '-' + normalizedName;

			classes += ' ' + settings.classes.prefix + '-' + normalizedName;

			$newElement.addClass(classes);

			return $newElement;
		};

		this.destroy = function() {

			unbindEvents();

			elements.widget.remove();

			self.trigger('destroy');

			return self;
		};

		this.getElements = function(item) {

			return item ? elements[item] : elements;
		};

		this.getSettings = function(setting) {

			var copy = Object.create(settings);

			if (setting) {
				return copy[setting];
			}

			return copy;
		};

		this.hide = function() {

			if (! self.isVisible()) {
				return;
			}

			clearTimeout(hideTimeOut);

			callEffect('hide', arguments);

			unbindEvents();

			if (settings.preventScroll) {
				self.getElements('body').removeClass(settings.classes.preventScroll);
			}

			self.trigger('hide');

			return self;
		};

		this.init = function(parent, properties) {

			if (!(parent instanceof DialogsManager.Instance)) {
				throw 'The ' + self.widgetName + ' must to be initialized from an instance of DialogsManager.Instance';
			}

			ensureClosureMethods();

			self.trigger('init', properties);

			initSettings(parent, properties);

			initElements();

			self.buildWidget();

			self.attachEvents();

			self.trigger('ready');

			return self;
		};

		this.isVisible = function() {

			return elements.widget.is(':visible');
		};

		this.on = function(eventName, callback) {

			if ('object' === typeof eventName) {
				$.each(eventName, function(singleEventName) {
					self.on(singleEventName, this);
				});

				return self;
			}

			var eventNames = eventName.split(' ');

			eventNames.forEach(function(singleEventName) {
				if (!events[singleEventName]) {
					events[singleEventName] = [];
				}

				events[singleEventName].push(callback);
			});

			return self;
		};

		this.off = function(eventName, callback) {

			if (! events[ eventName ]) {
				return self;
			}

			if (! callback) {
				delete events[eventName];

				return self;
			}

			var callbackIndex = events[eventName].indexOf(callback);

			if (-1 !== callbackIndex) {
				events[eventName].splice(callbackIndex, 1);
			}

			return self;
		};

		this.refreshPosition = function() {

			if (! settings.position.enable) {
				return;
			}

			var position = $.extend({}, settings.position);

			if (elements[position.of]) {
				position.of = elements[position.of];
			}

			if (! position.of) {
				position.of = window;
			}

			if (settings.iframe) {
				fixIframePosition(position);
			}

			elements[position.element].position(position);
		};

		this.setID = function(id) {

			elements.widget.attr('id', id);

			return self;
		};

		this.setHeaderMessage = function(message) {

			self.getElements('header').html(message);

			return self;
		};

		this.setMessage = function(message) {

			elements.message.html(message);

			return self;
		};

		this.setSettings = function(key, value) {

			if (jQuery.isPlainObject(value)) {
				$.extend(true, settings[key], value);
			} else {
				settings[key] = value;
			}

			return self;
		};

		this.show = function() {

			clearTimeout(hideTimeOut);

			elements.widget.appendTo(elements.container).hide();

			callEffect('show', arguments);

			self.refreshPosition();

			if (settings.hide.auto) {
				hideTimeOut = setTimeout(self.hide, settings.hide.autoDelay);
			}

			bindEvents();

			if (settings.preventScroll) {
				self.getElements('body').addClass(settings.classes.preventScroll);
			}

			self.trigger('show');

			return self;
		};

		this.trigger = function(eventName, params) {

			var methodName = 'on' + eventName[0].toUpperCase() + eventName.slice(1);

			if (self[methodName]) {
				self[methodName](params);
			}

			var callbacks = events[eventName];

			if (!callbacks) {
				return;
			}

			$.each(callbacks, function(index, callback) {

				callback.call(self, params);
			});

			return self;
		};
	};

	DialogsManager.Widget.prototype.types = [];

	// Inheritable widget methods
	DialogsManager.Widget.prototype.buildWidget = function() {

		var elements = this.getElements(),
			settings = this.getSettings();

		elements.widget.append(elements.header, elements.message);

		this.setHeaderMessage(settings.headerMessage);

		this.setMessage(settings.message);

		if (this.getSettings('closeButton')) {
			elements.widget.prepend(elements.closeButton);
		}
	};

	DialogsManager.Widget.prototype.attachEvents = function() {

		var self = this;

		if (self.getSettings('closeButton')) {
			self.getElements('closeButton').on('click', function(event) {
				event.preventDefault();
				self.hide();
			});
		}
	};

	DialogsManager.Widget.prototype.getDefaultSettings = function() {

		return {};
	};

	DialogsManager.Widget.prototype.getClosureMethods = function() {

		return [];
	};

	DialogsManager.Widget.prototype.onHide = function() {
	};

	DialogsManager.Widget.prototype.onShow = function() {
	};

	DialogsManager.Widget.prototype.onInit = function() {
	};

	DialogsManager.Widget.prototype.onReady = function() {
	};

	DialogsManager.widgetsTypes.simple = DialogsManager.Widget;

	DialogsManager.addWidgetType('buttons', {
		activeKeyUp: function(event) {

			var TAB_KEY = 9;

			if (event.which === TAB_KEY) {
				event.preventDefault();
			}

			if (this.hotKeys[event.which]) {
				this.hotKeys[event.which](this);
			}
		},
		activeKeyDown: function(event) {

			if (!this.focusedButton) {
				return;
			}

			var TAB_KEY = 9;

			if (event.which === TAB_KEY) {
				event.preventDefault();

				var currentButtonIndex = this.focusedButton.index(),
					nextButtonIndex;

				if (event.shiftKey) {

					nextButtonIndex = currentButtonIndex - 1;

					if (nextButtonIndex < 0) {
						nextButtonIndex = this.buttons.length - 1;
					}
				} else {

					nextButtonIndex = currentButtonIndex + 1;

					if (nextButtonIndex >= this.buttons.length) {
						nextButtonIndex = 0;
					}
				}

				this.focusedButton = this.buttons[nextButtonIndex].trigger('focus');
			}
		},
		addButton: function(options) {

			var self = this,
				settings = self.getSettings(),
				buttonSettings = jQuery.extend(settings.button, options);

			var classes = options.classes ? options.classes + ' ' : '';

			classes += settings.classes.globalPrefix + '-button';

			var $button = self.addElement(options.name, $('<' + buttonSettings.tag + '>').html(options.text), classes);

			self.buttons.push($button);

			var buttonFn = function() {

				if (settings.hide.onButtonClick) {
					self.hide();
				}

				if ('function' === typeof options.callback) {
					options.callback.call(this, self);
				}
			};

			$button.on('click', buttonFn);

			if (options.hotKey) {
				this.hotKeys[options.hotKey] = buttonFn;
			}

			this.getElements('buttonsWrapper').append($button);

			if (options.focus) {
				this.focusedButton = $button;
			}

			return self;
		},
		bindHotKeys: function() {

			this.getElements('window').on({
				keyup: this.activeKeyUp,
				keydown: this.activeKeyDown
			});
		},
		buildWidget: function() {

			DialogsManager.Widget.prototype.buildWidget.apply(this, arguments);

			var $buttonsWrapper = this.addElement('buttonsWrapper');

			this.getElements('widget').append($buttonsWrapper);
		},
		getClosureMethods: function() {

			return [
				'activeKeyUp',
				'activeKeyDown'
			];
		},
		getDefaultSettings: function() {

			return {
				hide: {
					onButtonClick: true
				},
				button: {
					tag: 'button'
				}
			};
		},
		onHide: function() {

			this.unbindHotKeys();
		},
		onInit: function() {

			this.buttons = [];

			this.hotKeys = {};

			this.focusedButton = null;
		},
		onShow: function() {

			this.bindHotKeys();

			if (!this.focusedButton) {
				this.focusedButton = this.buttons[0];
			}

			if (this.focusedButton) {
				this.focusedButton.trigger('focus');
			}
		},
		unbindHotKeys: function() {

			this.getElements('window').off({
				keyup: this.activeKeyUp,
				keydown: this.activeKeyDown
			});
		}
	});

	DialogsManager.addWidgetType('lightbox', DialogsManager.getWidgetType('buttons').extend('lightbox', {
		getDefaultSettings: function() {

			var settings = DialogsManager.getWidgetType('buttons').prototype.getDefaultSettings.apply(this, arguments);

			return $.extend(true, settings, {
				contentWidth: 'auto',
				contentHeight: 'auto',
				position: {
					element: 'widgetContent',
					of: 'widget',
					autoRefresh: true
				}
			});
		},
		buildWidget: function() {

			DialogsManager.getWidgetType('buttons').prototype.buildWidget.apply(this, arguments);

			var $widgetContent = this.addElement('widgetContent'),
				elements = this.getElements();

			$widgetContent.append(elements.header, elements.message, elements.buttonsWrapper);

			elements.widget.html($widgetContent);

			if (elements.closeButton) {
				$widgetContent.prepend(elements.closeButton);
			}
		},
		onReady: function() {

			var elements = this.getElements(),
				settings = this.getSettings();

			if ('auto' !== settings.contentWidth) {
				elements.message.width(settings.contentWidth);
			}

			if ('auto' !== settings.contentHeight) {
				elements.message.height(settings.contentHeight);
			}
		}
	}));

	DialogsManager.addWidgetType('confirm', DialogsManager.getWidgetType('lightbox').extend('confirm', {
		onReady: function() {

			DialogsManager.getWidgetType('lightbox').prototype.onReady.apply(this, arguments);

			var strings = this.getSettings('strings'),
				isDefaultCancel = this.getSettings('defaultOption') === 'cancel';

			this.addButton({
				name: 'cancel',
				text: strings.cancel,
				callback: function(widget) {

					widget.trigger('cancel');
				},
				focus: isDefaultCancel
			});

			this.addButton({
				name: 'ok',
				text: strings.confirm,
				callback: function(widget) {

					widget.trigger('confirm');
				},
				focus: !isDefaultCancel
			});
		},
		getDefaultSettings: function() {

			var settings = DialogsManager.getWidgetType('lightbox').prototype.getDefaultSettings.apply(this, arguments);

			settings.strings = {
				confirm: 'OK',
				cancel: 'Cancel'
			};

			settings.defaultOption = 'cancel';

			return settings;
		}
	}));

	DialogsManager.addWidgetType('alert', DialogsManager.getWidgetType('lightbox').extend('alert', {
		onReady: function() {

			DialogsManager.getWidgetType('lightbox').prototype.onReady.apply(this, arguments);

			var strings = this.getSettings('strings');

			this.addButton({
				name: 'ok',
				text: strings.confirm,
				callback: function(widget) {

					widget.trigger('confirm');
				}
			});
		},
		getDefaultSettings: function() {

			var settings = DialogsManager.getWidgetType('lightbox').prototype.getDefaultSettings.apply(this, arguments);

			settings.strings = {
				confirm: 'OK'
			};

			return settings;
		}
	}));

	// Exporting the DialogsManager variable to global
	global.DialogsManager = DialogsManager;
})(
	typeof jQuery !== 'undefined' ? jQuery : typeof require === 'function' && require('jquery'),
	(typeof module !== 'undefined' && typeof module.exports !== 'undefined') ? module.exports : window
);
{"id":94739,"date":"2024-06-09T06:41:54","date_gmt":"2024-06-09T06:41:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weeklypostgazette.com\/the-u-s-should-dismantle-its-gaza-aid-pier\/"},"modified":"2024-06-09T06:41:54","modified_gmt":"2024-06-09T06:41:54","slug":"the-u-s-should-dismantle-its-gaza-aid-pier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/weeklypostgazette.com\/the-u-s-should-dismantle-its-gaza-aid-pier\/","title":{"rendered":"The U.S. Should Dismantle Its Gaza Aid Pier"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body-main\">\n<p class=\"self-baseline px-0 font-pt-serif text-17px leading-7 tracking-0.5px\"><span class=\"leading-7 float-left border-t-2 border-l-2 border-solid border-time-red text-5xl py-2 pr-0.5 pl-[0.3125rem] my-0.5 mr-2.5 font-zilla-slab\">A<\/span>mid intense criticism for his Israel-Gaza approach, President Joe Biden announced earlier this year the construction of a pier to deliver desperately-needed aid to the Strip amid Israel\u2019s ongoing bombardment. But the $230 million pier, which should be re-anchored this week after it broke apart on May 28, has proven to be a hapless operation. It could soon turn disastrous. <\/p>\n<p class=\"self-baseline px-0 font-pt-serif text-17px leading-7 tracking-0.5px\">The pier has been plagued by issues from the start. Three U.S. ships were grounded on a beach in Gaza following a storm the day it broke apart. Several U.S. military personnel were injured at sea days before that. And the landing area near the pier has been attacked on at least two occasions by Hamas. Aid from the pier has also been looted, with only limited amounts of assistance reaching Gazans from it.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"self-baseline px-0 font-pt-serif text-17px leading-7 tracking-0.5px\">These same problems\u2014and potentially many more\u2014will likely emerge once it\u2019s operational again. The loss of U.S. lives or, even worse, some kind of deeper involvement in the Israel-Hamas war could follow. So if Biden really wants to help end the suffering and best serve U.S. interests, he needs to give up on the pier, move U.S. military personnel and ships away from Gaza, and push Israel to adopt a ceasefire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"self-baseline px-0 font-pt-serif text-17px leading-7 tracking-0.5px\">Aid delivery via the pier has a lot of moving parts. Aid arrives in Cyprus, is then sent by large commercial ships to a floating platform near Gaza where it is transferred to smaller vessels that transport the aid to the pier. U.S. naval ships offer protection, often very close to Gaza. Israel provides naval and land-based security around the pier, while the U.N. handles aid delivery once on-shore. Officially, no U.S. boots are on the ground in Gaza, but a U.S. counter rocket system is on the pier (likely manned by U.S. personnel). U.S. sailors on the beached vessels last month also spent time onshore in Gaza before being rescued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"self-baseline px-0 font-pt-serif text-17px leading-7 tracking-0.5px\">The presence of U.S. forces so close to the fighting in Gaza makes them easy targets for Hamas or other militant groups angered by American support for Israel. This danger is compounded by the fact that in protecting the floating platform and pier\u2014which is located in a \u201chigh risk\u201d area on the Gaza coast\u2014U.S. personnel are relatively fixed in place. Like the recent Tower 22 attack in Jordan, that makes them attractive targets, according to former U.S. national security officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"self-baseline px-0 font-pt-serif text-17px leading-7 tracking-0.5px\">Mission creep is a danger, too. For reasons of domestic politics or hubris, history shows that U.S. presidents have a tendency to double down on humanitarian operations to get them right. The outcomes usually aren\u2019t good. In Somalia, President Bill Clinton expanded a humanitarian mission from food-delivery to regime change in 1993, despite signs of growing danger. The result: Black Hawk Down, which killed 18 U.S. troops. In Lebanon, Ronald Reagan similarly expanded operations in a 1983 peacekeeping mission during that country\u2019s civil war. That ended in the deaths of 241 U.S. military personnel in a bombing at a Marine Corps barracks. <\/p>\n<p class=\"self-baseline px-0 font-pt-serif text-17px leading-7 tracking-0.5px\">Like Somalia or Lebanon, the Gaza pier could draw the U.S. into a bigger role. As a retired U.S. general recently warned, \u201cIf a bomb went off, the American public will ask, \u2018What the hell were they doing there in the first place?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"self-baseline px-0 font-pt-serif text-17px leading-7 tracking-0.5px\">In short, the costs and risks of the pier outweigh its benefits. The U.S. gains nothing strategically from the pier, and at full operation, it only provides a fraction of the aid Gaza both needs daily and receives from land routes, which are themselves grossly insufficient. <\/p>\n<p class=\"self-baseline px-0 font-pt-serif text-17px leading-7 tracking-0.5px\">So, what should Biden do now? As a first step, he should give the pier to Israel and get U.S. forces and warships away from Gaza. Israel caused the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, and they should assume the risk. U.S. naval ships could perhaps help secure aid routes to the platform (located two miles offshore). Leave the rest to Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"self-baseline px-0 font-pt-serif text-17px leading-7 tracking-0.5px\">But Washington must also wield its considerable leverage, including weapons sales and diplomatic cover, to apply pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire. This is by far the best way to both serve U.S. interests and end the humanitarian crisis. Such pressure will likely require cutting off arms to Israel given its intransigence, as seen by the official Israeli reaction to a new peace proposal last week.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"self-baseline px-0 font-pt-serif text-17px leading-7 tracking-0.5px\">Ultimately, only the war\u2019s end will reduce regional tension that has caused American casualties, endangered U.S. forces, and risks dragging Washington into conflicts of no strategic value. The pier is simply a distraction from that. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6986266\/6986266\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Amid intense criticism for his Israel-Gaza approach, President Joe Biden announced earlier this year the construction of a pier to deliver desperately-needed aid to the Strip amid Israel\u2019s ongoing bombardment. But the $230 million pier, which should be re-anchored this week after it broke apart on May 28, has proven to be a hapless [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":94740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11266],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-worldwide"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The U.S. Should Dismantle Its Gaza Aid Pier<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/weeklypostgazette.com\/the-u-s-should-dismantle-its-gaza-aid-pier\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The U.S. Should Dismantle Its Gaza Aid Pier\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[ad_1] Amid intense criticism for his Israel-Gaza approach, President Joe Biden announced earlier this year the construction of a pier to deliver desperately-needed aid to the Strip amid Israel\u2019s ongoing bombardment. 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