US Arab allies scared Gaza genocide 'destabilize' their countries: NYT

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The New York Times
7 Nov 2023 00:36
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The Arab allies of the United States are gravely concerned that regional tensions might cause internal issues in their countries.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media about his meetings with Turkish counterparts, before departing from Ankara Esenboga Airport in Ankara, Turkey, November 6, 2023 (AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken took a trip to the Middle East over the weekend as America continues to face Resistance to its presence in the region, and it is obvious that he took this into consideration, because he wore a bulletproof vest when he was in Iraq on Sunday.

US bases in Iraq and Syria were the subject of more than 40 drone and rocket attacks by the Iraqi Resistance as the latter seeks to show that the United States is not welcome and that its presence goes against the anti-imperialist sentiment after the October 7 act of Resistance against the Israeli occupation.

During his trip, Blinken boldly warned against the Resistance factions' attacks, saying this could widen the ongoing war on Gaza as CENTCOM announced that a nuclear-powered attack submarine was traveling through the region, adding to the USS Gerald Ford that is, ironically, already leading to regional instability due to the popular anger over the US intervening in the region's issues.

Blinken traveled to occupied Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey, wherein he said regional states were playing a pivotal role in terms of preventing an escalation into a regional conflict by, reportedly, curbing Iran and its allies' efforts to do so, efforts which he praised.

"Countries are very much engaged in trying to make sure that that doesn't happen," he said. "Sometimes the absence of something bad happening may not be the most obvious evidence of progress, but it is."

Blinken here could be neglecting the fact that more than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza, objectively, "something bad".

Arab leaders see that, however, with The New York Times reporting that the US' most important Arab allies, including Jordan and Egypt, are pressuring Washington to curb the Israeli occupation in light of its onslaught in Gaza, as the sheer amount of photos and videos of martyred Palestinian civilians has been giving rise to popular anger in these states, which could lead to internal instability.

Amman and Cairo are reportedly afraid that if the people continue to see dead Palestinians, they might take action against the respective leadership of each state over their inaction toward the injustice being dealt to their fellow Arab brothers and sisters in Gaza.

Jordan and Egypt, among other countries, desperately need a ceasefire, and they are urging Blinken to work toward one while letting him know that their calls for one in public are nowhere near hollow; not for the sake of the Palestinian people, but for that of their interests.

UAE, Jordan concerned

Israeli media reported Wednesday that there were concerns in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan due to Sanaa's involvement in the Gaza war through its launching of missiles toward "Israel" and threats against the Israeli occupation.

"Sanaa is currently focusing on firing at Israel, but many countries in the region fear being drawn into the conflict," Israeli Kan channel Arab Affairs expert Roi Kais said.

Kais identified the most concerned countries as the United Arab Emirates, noting that a member of the UAE parliament, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed concerns that Israel's response to Sanaa's actions "could escalate the scale of the war."

The second-most concerned country according to Kais is Jordan, which recalled its ambassador from "Israel" in protest against the ongoing war.

US Patriots in Jordan

It was noted that individuals in Amman have repeatedly warned about the potential spread of the conflict to various areas in the region, emphasizing that Jordan's security is a top priority.

Jordanian Armed Forces military media director Brigadier General Mustafa Al-Hayari said Sunday that Jordan had requested Patriot air defense missiles from the United States to enhance its security.

In an interview with a state-owned TV channel, Al-Hayari mentioned the need for a system to counter unmanned aerial threats, which he described as a growing concern for the country due to their use in drug smuggling.

"We have asked the American side to bolster our air defense system with Patriot missiles," he said. "This is an expensive system that cannot be effectively deployed using local resources alone, so we require a strategic partner."

Al-Hayari highlighted what he claimed to be continuous threats, including ballistic missiles surrounding Jordan from the north, east, and west, emphasizing that the Patriot was the most effective weapon against such threats.

In light of the regional concerns about an escalation in the war, the Israeli occupation naval force deployed ships equipped with missiles in the Red Sea on Tuesday, as part of what the entity claims is a "situation assessment and efforts to bolster defense," Israeli media reported on Wednesday.

Israeli forces spokesperson commenting on the measure claimed that the military is "in a very high state of readiness."

The Wall Street Journal had previously published footage of Israeli naval vessels in the Red Sea after Yemen's Sanaa revealed that it carried out missile and drone launches targeting the depth of the occupation entity on Tuesday.