Aggression on Lebanon 'Could Not Have Happened' Without US: Ex US Col.

By Al Mayadeen English

4 Oct 2024 21:02

Colonel Douglas Macgregor admits during a podcast that "Israel's" aggression cannot take place without the full support and technical backing from the United States.

What needs to be understood concerning Israeli aggression in Lebanon is that "it could not have happened at all without us," former senior US Defense Department official, military historian, and retired US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor asserted.

"Israel" has killed 1,974 people and wounded 9,384 others since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the country on October 8, 2023, and its expansion about a week ago.

The retired colonel expressed during a podcast interview with Judge Andrew Napolitano that the US, along with its considerable ISR assets, the Air Force, and the US Navy, engaged in supporting the "invasion" of Lebanon by "Israel", citing the US capability of harvesting extremely sensitive information that Israelis would not be capable of retrieving on their own. 

Macgregor affirmed that when such "successful operations" take place in Lebanon or other locations, "it’s not an Israel-only operation by any means," adding that even though this is a dangerous endeavor, the prime minister of the occupation, Benjamin Netanyahu, does not see it as such.

The reason, according to Macgregor, is that Netanyahu is "waging a ruthless war of extermination against his enemies," explaining how Netanyahu has already vocalized who his enemies are: "The people in Gaza, Arabs in the West Bank, and the Arabs south of the Litani river," in addition to "very lucrative targets across Syria."

The former colonel noted that this is a "very powerful war" and the US is simply "operating on autopilot."

"We’re just flying in the direction... we’re helping it. We’re enabling it. We’re pushing it," he emphasized, detailing that the American people are not being consulted on these matters because "everyone in Washington is quite comfortable with what’s happening."

Who is Douglas Macgregor? 

Douglas Abbott Macgregor played a significant role in an early tank battle during the Gulf War and served as a top planner for the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.

In his 1997 book, Breaking the Phalanx, he advocated for radical reforms within the United States Army.

After leaving the military in 2004, Macgregor became increasingly politically active.

Macgregor has been highly critical of US military engagement, advocating for a more restrained foreign policy and questioning the effectiveness of traditional military approaches. 

In November 2023, he criticized US aid to Ukraine, posting on X: "We have sent almost all of our war stocks, weapons systems, and ammunition to Ukraine. We don't have a great deal left. The war in Ukraine is lost. Make peace, you fools!"

In August 2023, Macgregor highlighted the possibility of US-supplied weapons to Ukraine ending up on the black market.