With his first known military attack, President Biden
Joe Biden: House Democrats pass with 9.9 COVID-19 aid bill with minimum wage increase Biden to hold bilateral virtual meeting with Mexican president More than 300 people charged in connection with riot tried to send a strong message to Iran while trying to avoid further escalation.
Biden ordered a strike on Thursday on facilities used by Iran-backed militants in Syria in response to several recent rocket attacks on US interests in Iraq suspected of being carried out by militias.
The target appeared calibrated to tell Iran to cancel it without the situation getting out of hand as the administration tries to save room for diplomacy with Tehran to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
“Somewhere there is a beautiful and happy way to get someone out. [Qassem] Soleimani and showing that you mean business, “said Barry Pavel, director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, referring to the Iranian general killed in a drone strike commanded by the former President Trump
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“This was meant to say” we mean business, you can’t keep pushing and attacking us through proxy. You will pay a price “, added Paul to Biden’s strike. “It’s a very different approach from the Trump administration. As I said, discrimination, calibration and concentration of the use of force for certain military interests. ”
Biden’s action won praise from some Republicans who criticized his diplomatic openness to Iran and from some Democrats who saw it as a limited and proportionate response. But other Democrats have questioned the legality of the strikes, saying they will not shy away from asking for the same answers they did when Trump took military action without congressional approval.
For his part, Biden said the strike was meant to convey the message that “you cannot act with impunity.”
“Be careful,” he told reporters while in Houston on Friday.
The airstrikes hit road stations used by two Iranian-backed militias to transport weapons, personnel and supplies across the border from Syria to Iraq.
The strike was led by two F-15E fighter jets, which fired seven precision-guided ammunition, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said.
It completely destroyed nine facilities and damaged two more, making them “functionally destroyed,” Kirby added. The Pentagon had “preliminary indications” on Friday that there were casualties, but Kirby declined to elaborate because the damage assessment had not been completed.
“I think the strike sends a message to anyone in the region, to all opponents in the region – organizations, people, leaders who act in ways that are hostile to the security and stability of the region and to our interests in our partner interests – that we will defend ourselves. protect the interests, ”Kirby said.
“We will certainly act to protect our people and the forces of our allies and partners,” he added. “This is a clear message to anyone in the region about the stakes if you continue to carry out attacks on our people and the Iraqi people.”
Biden ordered the strike after three recent missile attacks in Iraq, including one in Erbil, which killed a non-US contractor working with US forces and injured several US contractors and a member of the US service.
Immediately after the rocket attacks, the Biden administration dropped the blame, leading to speculation that it was trying to keep temperatures in Tehran low while trying to revive the Iranian nuclear deal.
The Trump administration quickly blamed Tehran for similar missile attacks, but retaliation at one point brought the United States and Iran to the brink of war.
In late 2019, the US military went on strike in Iraq and Syria against an Iranian-backed militia in response to a missile attack that killed a US businessman. The title for the father escalated to Trump’s drone strike on Soleimani, followed by an Iranian rocket strike in Iraq, which injured more than 100 American soldiers.
The Trump administration also hit the Iraqi militia last March after a rocket attack killed two American troops and a member of the British service. But the consequences were minimal, as both the United States and Iran turned their attention to the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden accepted the European Union’s invitation to hold talks with Iran and other signatories to the Obama-era nuclear deal. The president said he would join the agreement, which was withdrawn by Trump, if Iran returned to compliance.
Since Trump withdrew, Iran has violated the limits of the uranium enrichment and storage agreement and recently restricted access for international nuclear inspectors. Tehran insists the United States lift the sanctions imposed by Trump before they return to compliance.
In the midst of Biden’s diplomatic openings, Republicans warned him against lifting sanctions. But after Thursday night’s strikes, some of the same critics praised Biden for signaling to Iran that he would not tolerate threats against American personnel.
“Last night, the United States showed that attacks on U.S. personnel and interests would not be tolerated,” Rep. Mike Rogers
Michael (Mike) Dennis Rogers Overnight Defense: Biden sends Syrian air strike message | US information indicates the Saudi Crown Prince in Khashoggi’s assassination | Pentagon Launches Civilian-led Sexual Assault Commission Overnight Defense: One-third of Service Refuses Coronavirus Vaccine | Biden will take executive action in response to Solar Winds hack US and Japan reach cost-sharing agreement DOD says nearly a third of service members refuse COVID-19 vaccine MORE (R-Ala.), A member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. “I support President Biden’s response to the provocation of Iranian-backed militias. We must defend our interests abroad, and I hope that the Biden Administration will continue to put pressure to discourage future aggression from Iran and its proxies. “
Republican Senate of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sen. James Inhofe
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However, Inhofe added, “the fact that Iran chose to escalate shortly after the administration declared its desire to resume negotiations with Tehran did not go unnoticed.”
“I hope the administration is rethinking its current negotiating strategy with Iran and will work with Congress on a bipartisan approach that will address Iran’s support for terrorism, as well as its nuclear and ballistic missile program,” he said. “We cannot lift sanctions on a country that continues to target Americans and our allies for murder.”
But the strike is unlikely to jeopardize diplomacy with Iran over the nuclear deal, said Paul, a former Pentagon official.
There is a possibility that Iran will initially reject talks after the strike, but it is ultimately in its interest to return to the agreement and lift sanctions, he said.
“So, regardless of that, that doesn’t change their calculation in this regard. The same with the US, with the Biden administration at least. It is in the US interest to return and constrain Iran’s nuclear program,” Pavel said.
Meanwhile, progressive Democrats were dismayed that Biden was turning to military action, throwing him out in particular because he had not sought congressional permission in advance.
“There is absolutely no justification for a president to authorize a military strike that is not in self-defense against an imminent threat without the authorization of Congress. We need to get out of the Middle East, not climb, ”Rep. Ro Khanna
Rohit (Ro) Khanna Overnight Defense: Biden sends a message with the Syrian air attack | US information indicates the Saudi Crown Prince in Khashoggi’s assassination | The Pentagon launches civilian-led sexual assault commission, Biden, “disappointed” by Senate parliamentary decision, but “respects” Democrat decision seeks to improve communication with Asian and Latino communities (D-California) said in a statement. “I spoke out against the endless war with Trump, and I will speak out against him when we have a democratic president.”
The White House cited Biden’s authority under Article II of the Constitution to defend U.S. personnel as the domestic legal authority for the strike. Under international law, the administration cited Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, which allows for self-defense if attacked.
“We have had a rigorous process to include the legal review of the strikes,” a National Security Council (NSC) spokesman said.
“The targets were chosen to match the recent attacks – the facilities are being used by KSS and KH – and to discourage the risk of further attacks in the coming weeks,” they added, using the acronyms for two Iranian-backed militias blamed in the Iraq Attacks: Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
The Pentagon briefed Congress before the strike, and administration officials briefed members and individual staff on Friday, the White House said.
Also, at the beginning of next week, there will be a fully classified briefing to parliamentarians or “sooner if Congress wants it,” the NSC spokesman added.
Chairman of the Armed Services Committee of the Chamber Adam smith
David (Adam) Adam Smith Overnight Defense: Biden sends a message with the Syrian air strike US information indicates the Saudi Crown Prince in Khashoggi’s assassination | Pentagon Launches Civilian-led Sexual Assault Commission Report Hill’s 12:30 – Presented by Facebook – Full-Screen Divided House Nearly 5,000 National Guard soldiers will remain in DC over concerns about potential violence in March (D-Wash.) He called the strike a “proportionate and appropriate” response to recent rocket attacks, but stressed the need for diplomacy.
“While the military strike was necessary to protect our staff in the region and to deter attacks, we spoke to the Biden administration’s national security team, who pledged to use diplomacy and engagement with Iran, as well as work with our allies and partners in the region to reduce future tensions, “he said in a statement.” I strongly support this effort. “