Israel's prime minister is dragging the US into a major war in order to save his own skin, says a security expert.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is facing calls to resign over the apparent failure of his government and security services to predict and head off the guerrilla incursion and rocket barrage by Hamas and other Palestinian groups from the besieged Gaza Strip into southern Israel.
US President Joe Biden flew to Israel to back Netanyahu following his vow to invade Gaza and "destroy" Hamas, and has sent two US Navy aircraft carrier strike groups and a US Marine amphibious assault group to the region to "deter" other nations from intervening on the Palestinian side.
US bases in Iraq and Syria have been attacked 14 times since Israel began its latest bombing campaign against Gaza in preparation for an eventual ground assault.
The Biden administration has accused Iran of being behind those attacks by Iraqi militias — originally armed by the US and trained by Iran to fight Daesh* — and has threatened Tehran with dire consequences if they continue.
Security expert Michael Maloof told Sputnik that could dangerously up the ante in a conflict that was already out of control.
"So far, they'll respond to individual attacks. That'll be it. But what I'm concerned about is that the US is just going to take off and start bombing all over the place and escalate this thing even more," Maloof warned. "It does represent an escalation to attack US troops, by the way, who are in Syria illegally. They had an invitation into Iraq, but I think they've clearly overstayed their welcome."
He said that the White House seemed to be concerned about how the conflict was broadening, but "doesn't know how to stop it."
"Netanyahu is calling the shots and and the president just a few hours ago basically said that he's asked for a delay in any invasion," Maloof noted, "but he can't control basically tell Netanyahu what to do. And that gives that gives Netanyahu a lot of power to drag us into a conflict that we're clearly reluctant to get involved in."
He pointed out that the network of US military bases across the Middle East were just as much of a potential target for Iran, Lebanon's Hezbollah or the Yemeni Ansarallah government as they were a threat to them — leaving the American personnel there hostages to fortune whose deaths could trigger a wider war.
"The game is on, and this this really fulfils Netanyahu's long passion to get the US engaged. Ultimately, the ultimate goal of Netanyahu is Iran," Maloof said.
Lebanon's Hezbollah is already in a low-intensity conflict on Israel's northern border and threatening to open a full-blown second front if Netanyahu launches his Gaza offensive. The Israeli air force has made several missile attacks on airports in the Syrian capital Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo, ostensibly to prevent Iran flying in troops and weapons, while also accusing Syria of shelling IDF positions in the occupied Golan Heights area.
The security advisor said Biden was leading the US into another military fiasco on Israel's heels.
"This is all a self-made disaster at the hands of the Biden administration. It just didn't have to be," Maloof stressed. "And now we're reaching a point where Israel, as we now know, could be extinguished if the Sunnis and the Shia unite and take on Israel all at once in a swarm approach from all directions."
He said Netanyahu had good reason to allow the situation to erupt on October 7 and to escalate it further, as he was "not in control" of the more extreme members of his coalition government while also facing criminal charges when he leaves office.
"Netanyahu could make this an endless war just to stay in office and to protect himself personally." Maloof argued. "There's clear evidence now that he knew, he had information and intelligence that Hamas [...] was planning an action. He was warned, but he let it happen."
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*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other countries.