President Joe Biden has given the green light to the construction of the now-infamous Gaza aid jetty, despite warnings that the project could fail, according to a research report released on Tuesday.
The $230 million floating dock, built by the U.S. military in May at the request of the Biden administration to serve as a conduit for transporting aid through the Mediterranean sea route, faced security and weather-related problems that forced it to close in early July. The Pentagon and U.S. officials had warned of these problems before the dock opened, but the Biden administration ignored them and went ahead with the operation. According to This is according to an investigative report released by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). (Related article: “Worth billions”: Defense companies enter gold rush with record arms orders)
“From the beginning, inclement weather was a major challenge to success. [the pier’s] “The pier was not designed to operate in the rough and stormy sea conditions of the Mediterranean,” the report said. [pier] Planning your kickoff meeting [Department of Defense] Experts discussed weather issues and structural challenges to the sustainability of the pier.”
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 Trident Piers on the Gaza coast, May 16, 2024. (Photo by U.S. Central Command via Getty Images)
“Since first becoming operational on May 16, the jetty has been dislodged and closed multiple times due to rough seas, structural damage and the need for repairs, limiting the amount of aid that can be delivered through the maritime corridor,” the report said.
Security issues are also hindering the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip, according to the report. Local aid groups in the Gaza Strip stopped delivering supplies from the jetty landing site in June due to these issues. The problems include “multiple incidents of looting after collecting supplies from the beaches and transporting them to the Gaza Strip, [World Food Program] Drivers are being held captive or shot dead in warehouses.”
Concerns that security issues would hinder aid shipments from the pier were heard even before it opened, according to the report. Additionally, officials expressed fears that the pier would undermine efforts to get aid to Gaza through more efficient routes, particularly overland.
TOP SHOT – Palestinians rush trucks transporting international humanitarian aid from the US-built Trident Pier near Nuseira in the central Gaza Strip on May 18, 2024, as the conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas continues. (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
“Several USAID officials [the pier] “The order undermines UN agencies' push to open a land corridor that was seen as a more efficient and proven way of transporting aid to Gaza,” the report said. “However, once the president issued the directive, UN agencies [the pier] As effectively as possible.”
The pier has been under intense scrutiny both before and since its opening because of the challenges it has faced and the danger it could pose to U.S. military personnel.
Biden said at a press conference. meeting “I'm disappointed that some of the things I proposed didn't succeed,” Biden said in July. Regarding the pier, Biden said at the meeting, “I'm disappointed that some of the things I proposed didn't succeed.” [it] You will be more successful.”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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