Amid the turmoil in the Middle East, tensions escalated as a drone attack killed 3 U.S. Service members and injured over three dozen others. Some of which are in critical condition.
In a saddening statement, The Pentagon reported that three service members were killed after an Iranian backed militia drone attacked the living quarters, which also resulted in the injury of over 30 other service members.
The drone attacked a base in Jordan, which has now become the first attack of this conflict where United States soldiers have been killed. The Biden administration is facing the heat of the kitchen as the people are awaiting his decision on how to handle the situation.
Our prayers are with the families of the victims who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Details of the attack
At least 35 other service members also sustained injuries in the attack, as reported by U.S. Central Command on Sunday. This is one of at least 165 other attacks on positions in Iraq and Syria. Eight personnel needed evacuation due to their injuries and were transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
Among the attacks in Syria and Iraq, 80 personnel have sustained injuries, yet this drone attack is the first to claim the lives of any service member.
Senior defense officials stated that those injuries are from concussive trauma from rocket mortars, indirect fire, or drone attacks which contain anywhere from 8 to 50 kilograms of explosives. It is also said that the drone was able to sneak past defenses by tailing a returning U.S. UAV.
Response
Joe Biden is feeling pressure from Republicans to retaliate. No wonder. Usually, when someone attacks and kills U.S. troops, the gloves come off and all niceties end. And frankly, allowing the militants to continue to bombard U.S. positions is only allowing further possibility of casualties.
However, there is a delicate balance to maintain. Iranian-backed militants have been continuously attacking shipping in the Red Sea, which the U.S. has responded to in turn by attacking Houthi rebels in Yemen. It is my opinion that we should really uncaged some F-35s and reinforce the deterrents we had previously maintained for President Trump’s presidency.
Yet, some republicans are pressing that a strike targeting Iran itself should be the response.
It might be in the U.S. to lay heavily into the attacks on the Iranian-backed militants and reserve an attack on Iran for a later time. Continuing to punish Iranian weapons and ammunition shipments in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea.
It should be in the Biden administration’s best interest to show some sort of powerful response, since the U.S. has never looked weaker. A forceful, precise counteroffensive risking minimal lives would restore some level of deterrence, which former President Trump maintained with great effect as there was an era of peace during his presidency.
It is important to note that a decisive strike tenfold of what has been currently going on would not stop all threat to American Troops in the region. However, it is also essential to understand that the United States needs to appear strong. It is. Absolutely. However, if the foreign policy fails, so does a lot of America’s standing at being a nation you should not mess with.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md. Said that the response should be “deliberate and proportionate.”
At least we are hearing that people are supporting sending some freedom shells back at the groups who have killed our troops. But I would like to recall a time during the Reagan presidency where Iran had mined a U.S. warship. The ship was largely just fine, but the President responded by sinking half of the Iranian navy. Mess around, find out. There was another instance however that Reagan actually pulled troops out of Jordan.
Update 02/06/2024
Biden has authorized a series of retaliatory strikes against militant positions. Numbers of bombs dropped around 165.
