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Source: The Cradle
Secrecy shrouds British military actions in Lebanon
The UK, perpetually dissatisfied with its status as a former imperial power, seeks to play an oversized role in Israel's protection by setting its military and intel sights on Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen today.
By Kit Klarenberg | December 21, 2023
Source: The Cradle
Secrecy shrouds British military actions in Lebanon
The UK, perpetually dissatisfied with its status as a former imperial power, seeks to play an oversized role in Israel's protection by setting its military and intel sights on Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen today.
By Kit Klarenberg | December 21, 2023
Photo Credit: The Cradle
On 8 October, veteran British reporter Robert Peston published a remarkable post on the social media platform X. Citing insider information from "government and intelligence sources," Peston asserted that the Palestinian resistance operation Al-Aqsa Flood would inevitably evolve into a full-blown regional war, one that will be "as destabilizing to global security as Putin's attack on Ukraine." The journalist forewarned:
The urgency to prepare western audiences for the impending crisis hints at a deeper narrative — that London may have had a hand in igniting conflict across the region, a macabre plan that has been unfolding ever since.
Covert military alliances: SAS in Gaza
It goes without saying that Britain's involvement in Israel's genocidal assault in Gaza is shrouded in intense secrecy. In December 2020, London and Tel Aviv signed a military cooperation agreement described by Ministry of Defense officials as an "important piece of defense diplomacy" that "strengthens" military ties between the two countries, while providing "a mechanism for planning our joint activity."
The contents of this agreement, however, remain hidden not only from ordinary British citizens but also from elected lawmakers.
Speculation arises regarding whether the agreement obligates Britain to defend Israel in the event of an attack, potentially explaining the visible involvement of the notorious SAS in the assault by the occupation army on Palestinians.
Mainstream media reports in late October hinted at the elite squadron being "on standby" at British military and intelligence bases in neighboring Cyprus, preparing to conduct daring hostage rescue operations in Gaza.
Subsequent articles suggested Britain's special operations soldiers were "training in Lebanon to rescue Britons" in West Asia, should they get caught up in the war in Gaza, or "be taken hostage" by the Lebanese resistance, Hezbollah, or its allies.
A senior British Army official boasted that these forces had "built up a very close relationship" with their counterparts in Beirut, which "provides an insight and influence on Lebanese decision-making and seeing things from the other side of the northern border, which clearly concerns Israel."
The secrecy surrounding these activities prompted Britain's Defense and Security Media Advisory (DSMA) Committee to issue D-notices to British news outlets, cautioning against disclosing sensitive information about SAS operations in West Asia.
True to form, there has been no further reporting on the SAS interest in Gaza by mainstream British media. Yet, the DSMA's reference to "security, intelligence and counter-terrorist operations" points to a very different purpose to their presence in the region than mere hostage rescue.
Independent investigations by Declassified UK bolster this suspicion, revealing 33 military transport flights traveling to Tel Aviv from the same British bases in Cyprus where SAS operatives are stationed.
These flights, including daily ones in the fortnight following Israel's attack on Gaza, are no mere coincidence. As recently as 12 December, the independent media outlet revealed how Britain secretly deployed 500 additional troops to its Cyprus bases in response to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
This information was disclosed to a parliamentarian by a UK government minister. It was also revealed that Britain dispatched additional troops to the occupation state and its neighbors Egypt and Lebanon, justified only by vague references to "operational security reasons."
Unrestricted access to Lebanon?
On 21 November, The Cradle brought to light a covert initiative by Britain to secure unfettered access to Lebanese territory for its armed forces.
A leaked document on the proposals offered neither a rationale for London doing so, nor specified the specific mission British Army soldiers would be fulfilling in Beirut – deviating from customary transparency in such memoranda of understanding.
Had the memorandum been approved, it would have granted "all [British] military personnel" unprecedented access to Lebanon's ground, air and sea territory, bypassing the need for "prior diplomatic authorization" for "emergency missions."
Please go to The Cradle to continue reading.
"We are in the early stages of a conflict with ramifications for much of the world."What makes this revelation even more astonishing is the speed at which British intelligence gained certainty about imminent upheaval in West Asia, just over 24 hours after the unprecedented strike by Palestinian freedom fighters on Israel.
The urgency to prepare western audiences for the impending crisis hints at a deeper narrative — that London may have had a hand in igniting conflict across the region, a macabre plan that has been unfolding ever since.
Covert military alliances: SAS in Gaza
It goes without saying that Britain's involvement in Israel's genocidal assault in Gaza is shrouded in intense secrecy. In December 2020, London and Tel Aviv signed a military cooperation agreement described by Ministry of Defense officials as an "important piece of defense diplomacy" that "strengthens" military ties between the two countries, while providing "a mechanism for planning our joint activity."
The contents of this agreement, however, remain hidden not only from ordinary British citizens but also from elected lawmakers.
Speculation arises regarding whether the agreement obligates Britain to defend Israel in the event of an attack, potentially explaining the visible involvement of the notorious SAS in the assault by the occupation army on Palestinians.
Mainstream media reports in late October hinted at the elite squadron being "on standby" at British military and intelligence bases in neighboring Cyprus, preparing to conduct daring hostage rescue operations in Gaza.
Subsequent articles suggested Britain's special operations soldiers were "training in Lebanon to rescue Britons" in West Asia, should they get caught up in the war in Gaza, or "be taken hostage" by the Lebanese resistance, Hezbollah, or its allies.
A senior British Army official boasted that these forces had "built up a very close relationship" with their counterparts in Beirut, which "provides an insight and influence on Lebanese decision-making and seeing things from the other side of the northern border, which clearly concerns Israel."
The secrecy surrounding these activities prompted Britain's Defense and Security Media Advisory (DSMA) Committee to issue D-notices to British news outlets, cautioning against disclosing sensitive information about SAS operations in West Asia.
True to form, there has been no further reporting on the SAS interest in Gaza by mainstream British media. Yet, the DSMA's reference to "security, intelligence and counter-terrorist operations" points to a very different purpose to their presence in the region than mere hostage rescue.
Independent investigations by Declassified UK bolster this suspicion, revealing 33 military transport flights traveling to Tel Aviv from the same British bases in Cyprus where SAS operatives are stationed.
These flights, including daily ones in the fortnight following Israel's attack on Gaza, are no mere coincidence. As recently as 12 December, the independent media outlet revealed how Britain secretly deployed 500 additional troops to its Cyprus bases in response to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
This information was disclosed to a parliamentarian by a UK government minister. It was also revealed that Britain dispatched additional troops to the occupation state and its neighbors Egypt and Lebanon, justified only by vague references to "operational security reasons."
Unrestricted access to Lebanon?
On 21 November, The Cradle brought to light a covert initiative by Britain to secure unfettered access to Lebanese territory for its armed forces.
A leaked document on the proposals offered neither a rationale for London doing so, nor specified the specific mission British Army soldiers would be fulfilling in Beirut – deviating from customary transparency in such memoranda of understanding.
Had the memorandum been approved, it would have granted "all [British] military personnel" unprecedented access to Lebanon's ground, air and sea territory, bypassing the need for "prior diplomatic authorization" for "emergency missions."
Please go to The Cradle to continue reading.
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Include the British to complete this axis:
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