The Pentagon's internal watchdog has opened an investigation into the Biden administration's aid facilities in Gaza, the department announced Thursday.
The $230 million floating dock was meant to act as a sea conduit for transporting aid through the Mediterranean, but since it opened in mid-May it has faced a series of problems, raising concerns it may not be able to fulfill that role. The Defense Department and the Office of Inspector General of the United States Agency for International Development are conducting a joint investigation to “assess the effectiveness” of the dock's ability to transport aid. according to For the announcement. (Related article: 'Getting wilder': Biden's chaotic Gaza dock may be dismantled months sooner than expected)
UNSPECIFIED – May 16: (Editor's note: This handout image was provided by a third party organization and may not comply with Getty Images' editorial policy.) U.S. Army Soldiers with the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), U.S. Navy Sailors with the 1st Amphibious Construction Battalion, and the Israel Defense Forces install a Trident pier on the Gaza coast, May 16, 2024. (Photo credit: U.S. Central Command via Getty Images)
“DoD OIG and USAID OIG are working together to address the challenges associated with this mission. Through collaboration, we will leverage our teams' unique expertise, resources, and capabilities to optimize oversight in this critical area,” Defense Department Inspector General Robert P. Storch said in a statement.
The review came after weeks of operational and logistical problems that caused the pier to periodically close, hindering aid deliveries to the Palestinians and potentially putting U.S. troops at risk. President Joe Biden only communicated his plans for the pier to the Pentagon just days before the official announcement, leaving defense officials scrambling to mobilize resources for the mission.
The pier, hastily constructed by the US military in May, would not work under normal Mediterranean conditions, forcing authorities to close it until the bad weather and choppy seas had passed. according to According to The Wall Street Journal, the pier collapsed during severe weather in mid-May and was towed north for repairs.
The main UN agency responsible for distributing aid in the Gaza Strip decided to halt deliveries from the pier in early June, citing security concerns. US officials have reportedly warned aid groups in the Gaza Strip that the pier will be permanently closed in the coming weeks, instead of as planned in September. according to To the New York Times.
Defense experts and former U.S. government officials have previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the pier is a dangerous idea and never realistic.
“This has been a hopelessly and dangerously stupid idea from the start,” former Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Simone Ledeen previously told the DCNF. “It's a huge waste of resources and money.”
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