Australia to deploy 'significant contingent' in the Middle East

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Bild
25 Oct 2023 17:00
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Australian authorities have announced that the country will deploy extra troops in the Middle East.

In a photo provided by the Australian Defense Force, a Royal Australian Air Force C-130J Hercules aircraft departs from Richmond, Australia, on January 18, 2022. (AP)

Australia is deploying a "significant contingent" of troops and aircraft to the Middle East, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Wednesday.

The deployment adds to a large number of mainly American troops that have been deployed to the Middle East following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7.

The Australian government said additional troops and two military transport planes would join the Australian Army in the region.

"It’s a volatile situation … We hope that this is confined to Israel and Gaza," Marles stated, adding, "We want to make sure that we’re prepared if matters do get worse."

The Australian government did not reveal any additional information on the reason behind the deployment or the role that its troops will undertake.

Marles also warned all Australian citizens in the Middle East, urging them to leave the region as soon as possible.

"As a government, we’ll do what we can, but if you want to leave, make sure you take your opportunities now," he said, referring to commercially available flights.

It is worth noting that the Australian Army has joined in on every major war the United States has waged since World War I, including its war on Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam.

More to 'Israel's' rescue

The West has been rallying and deploying its troops and special forces to West Asia after the Israeli occupation forces suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Palestinian Resistance fighters.

The German and Dutch governments deployed Special Forces units to Cyprus, according to the Bild, citing security sources.

The German Army sent units from its Special Forces Command (KSK), Navy Special Forces (KSM), and the Federal Police Special Forces (GSG 9), as well as two military transport aircraft, according to Bild.

The GSG 9 specializes in hostage rescue operations, as the German newspaper reported that there is a "double-digit number" of German citizens held captive in Gaza.

Earlier on October 18, the Dutch Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense said they were sending two military transport aircraft carriers and 200 soldiers to Cyprus, adding that the troops would be ready to respond quickly in case of an escalation in the situation.

The United Kingdom had already sent a surveillance aircraft to the Eastern Mediterranean and 100 Royal Marines troops.

US leads military build-up in West Asia

Western governments did not shy away from showing their unwavering support for the criminal Israeli occupation. The United States led the wave of military build-up in the Middle East as it deployed two of its nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, into the region.

The Pentagon also transferred the USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship, to the northern Red Sea alongside its Rapid Response Force, which consists of around 2,000 military personnel.

The #Pentagon has tried to downplay the capabilities of the Yemeni Resistance as it says it wants to avoid an escalation in the region.

The WSJ reported that the Yemeni Resistance fired 5 cruise missiles and about 30 drones, which US officials said seemed to be heading toward… pic.twitter.com/1Hs6fvsCDn
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 24, 2023

In the latest move, the US Department of Defense announced that it will allocate several Patriot air defense systems as well as a THAAD battery.

The US Defense Department has allegedly brought forth, from Fort Bliss, Texas, a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery for use against ballistic missiles to be stationed in Saudi Arabia while at least 11 MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems were transferred from both Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma to be stationed in Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.