The Pentagon has stated that “multiple facilities” were destroyed in the attack, which was ostensibly ordered in response to a rocket attack against U.S. and other coalition personnel in Iraq earlier this month, which killed a civilian contractor.
While the militia attacked by the U.S. said that just one individual had died, a separate war monitor suggested there were at least 22 fatalities, the
BBC reported.
Syria has condemned the attack, calling it a “bad sign” for the new administration. The Pentagon justified the airstrike as a “proportionate military response” that was taken in consultation with allies in the region.
Antiwar.com Blog
Strikes in Syria re-raise old questions of presidential authority.Barbara Boland Posted on
Thirty-five days after he was sworn into office as President of the United States, Joe Biden ordered airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias in Syria, in response to rocket attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq. Congress has not declared war against Syria or Iran.
However, Congress never revoked the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) which authorized the war in Iraq, despite numerous attempts in multiple legislative sessions to do so.
“There’s no general authority for a president to launch airstrikes, and President Biden hasn’t claimed they were necessary to stop an imminent attack,” commented Michigan’s former Rep. Justin Amash. “Our Constitution demands he get approval from the representatives of the people.”
U.S. forces struck Iranian-backed militia targets in Syria Thursday in retaliation for a deadly rocket attack on an Iraqi military base earlier this month.
Joe Biden Accused of Hypocrisy over Syria Airstrike
26 Feb 2021
President Joe Biden authorized his first military action on Thursday: airstrikes on facilities in Syria used by militias linked to Iran.
The airstrikes came in response to attacks on American personnel in Iraq. Criticism was muted on both sides of the aisle, with some questioning whether the airstrikes were authorized under the existing Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF).
Others noted that the airstrikes mark a 180-degree turn for Biden and members of his administration.
Last year, Biden was among those who criticized President Donald Trump’s airstrike on Iranian terrorist General Qasem Soleimani. He called it “a hugely escalatory move in an already dangerous region,” and claimed falsely, as it turned out that the attack would provoke, rather than deter, the Iranian regime.
Letter to President Biden on Forever Wars
February 17, 2021
Dear President Biden:
Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, the United States responded with military force intended to target those responsible for that attack, and invoked extraordinary powers reserved for war. Nearly two decades later, the legal and policy framework created to facilitate that war-based response has resulted in a series of endless and amorphous conflicts with no grand strategy or endgame in sight.
The American people have rightly grown skeptical of this costly war-based approach of the last two decades, and as candidate for President you wisely committed to ending America’s “endless wars.” Now, as President, you have the authority, and responsibility, to rethink and reshape the United States’ approach to national and human security based on a realistic assessment of challenges, threats, and priorities; sound strategy; and clear objectives. And you have an obligation to ensure that