Arrr, avast ye scallywags! Two captives set free be not sufficient! We must retrieve 'em all, by Davy Jones' locker!
2023-10-20
Avast ye scallywags! A mere two Hamas prisoners set free be not sufficient! Nay, we must gather 'em all back into our fold. With Israel's attention elsewhere and diplomacy at its wits' end, methinks the US must consider a swashbucklin' military endeavor to rescue our comrades in distress. Arrr!
As we celebrate the release of two American hostages by Hamas, we must not forget the 11 other American citizens who remain captive in the Gaza Strip. Their whereabouts, condition, and even their survival are unknown. President Biden promised the families that he would do everything possible to bring them home safely, but his national security council has no plans for an American-led rescue operation.Instead, the United States plans to rely on Israel and diplomacy to secure the release of the hostages. However, this approach is deemed unacceptable by many. The US has the intelligence and military capabilities to take more decisive action and should utilize its experience in dealing with terrorists to bring the captives home.
The difficulty lies in locating the hostages within Gaza's urban civilian populations and the elaborate tunnel system used by Hamas. Experts believe the hostages have been distributed to multiple locations, making a single rescue attempt nearly impossible. The Biden administration is pursuing diplomatic avenues through organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross and countries that have direct dealings with Hamas, such as Egypt and Qatar. However, this strategy is seen as a recipe for failure.
Egypt is primarily concerned with its border crisis and views the hostages as a distraction from its core interests. Qatar, known for patronizing Hamas, may not be a reliable actor. Meanwhile, Israel is focused on its own hostage crisis with Hamas holding around 200 Israeli citizens. It is unreasonable to expect Israel to prioritize the rescue of American hostages over its offensive in Gaza.
Given these challenges, it is critical for the Biden administration to develop a US-led rescue option. With extensive experience in counterterrorism operations, US intelligence agencies and special operations units are well-equipped to operate in risky combat zones. The USS Ford carrier strike group and the second carrier group en route to the region offer military support and could oversee a rescue operation.
While an American-led rescue effort would be high risk, the longer the hostages remain captive, the greater the danger to their lives. Hamas has demonstrated its brutality and threats to kill hostages in response to Israeli bombings. How the United States handles this hostage crisis will shape how adversaries perceive the value of capturing or killing Americans in the future.