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Top general implies US withholding certain arms from Israel

"They’ve asked for stuff that we either don’t have the capacity to provide or not willing to provide,” said the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Pictured L-R: IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discuss the ongoing war in Tel Aviv on Dec. 18, 2023. Photo by Kobi Gideon/GPO.
Pictured L-R: IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discuss the ongoing war in Tel Aviv on Dec. 18, 2023. Photo by Kobi Gideon/GPO.

Gen. Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Defense Writers Group that Israel has not “received everything they’ve asked for” from the United States in terms of armaments, Reuters reported.

“Some of that is because they’ve asked for stuff that we either don’t have the capacity to provide or not willing to provide, not right now,” Brown said.

The Pentagon later clarified the general’s remarks, “highlighting the issue’s sensitivity,” the Washington Post reported.

“We assess U.S. stockpiles and any possible impact on our own readiness to determine our ability to provide the requested aid,” said Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey, a spokesman for the general.

“There is no change in U.S. policy. The United States continues to provide security assistance to our ally Israel as they defend themselves from Hamas,” he added.

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