'Do what Israel tells you': US troops revolt over Iran war decision

By Al Mayadeen English 

Source: Social media + Al Mayadeen English

Scrawled messages attributed to US servicemen raise pointed questions about Israeli meddling, troop morale, and the purpose of an indefinite deployment.

The Executive Vice President and co-founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Dr. Trita Parsi, said messages reportedly written by US servicemen on an aircraft flap in the Gulf reflect growing discontent among troops deployed to the region, including frustration over the indefinite nature of their assignments.

Parsi, who said the image had been sent to him from the field, shared photographs showing messages written in the dust on an aircraft flap. The messages included: “Be a good guy and do what Israel tells you to,” “Operation Epstein Fury,” and “Peace deal #64 incoming... ALL THIS FOR THE HOLY LAND.”

Parsi said he had no basis for comparing the sentiments expressed in the messages with those of US service members in previous wars, but suggested they could represent either new attitudes or a greater willingness to express such views openly.

'No morale' behind war on Iran

He also cited what he said was a comment from a serviceman about the morale of troops involved in the operation.

“What people in the media don't understand when they compare past conflicts to this one, is this operation has no morale behind it. That makes a world of difference to service members deployed to undesirable locations indefinitely,” as one serviceman told Parsi.

Furthermore, he highlighted the serviceman's reference to a lack of morale and indefinite deployments, arguing that these conditions could shape how troops view the war.

“My own conclusion: When a war has no morale behind it, winning means that you simply end it. There is no other "winning" in such an unjust war,” Parsi concluded.

The developments come amid growing scrutiny of poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and calls from lawmakers for answers from the War Department.