The United States on Friday responded to last week’s deadly drone attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan with a series of retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria. NBC 5’s Courtney Sisk talked to a political expert for his take.
The United States on Friday responded to last week's deadly drone attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan with a series of retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria.
President Biden revealed that U.S. military forces struck 85 targets of Iran-backed militias in Syria and Iraq during a first wave of retaliation, though the campaign could last for weeks.
"Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing," Biden said in a statement. "But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond.”
The Pentagon said the strikes targeted seven facilities, and hit command and control and intelligence centers, along with rockets, missiles and drone storage sites.
It's unclear at this time how many militants were killed or wounded. The National Security Council said specific targets were chosen to avoid civilian casualties.
Political Science Professor Robert Pape, who lead's the University of Chicago's project on security and threats, spoke with NBC Chicago on Friday night to provide context regarding the volatility abroad.
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“President Biden is sending two messages at the same time. First he’s sending the message that America will not simply stand by and take it. That is, that America is going to strike back and strike back forcefully," Pape said. "The second message President Biden is sending is a message of restraint. A clear message by essentially telegraphing these strikes hours in advance that he is not looking to escalate this into a direct conflict with Iran."
Pape, who is an expert in teaching conventional targeting strategy for the U.S. Air Force, said it's crucial to send a powerful message to Iran, but to also prevent further escalation and conflict. This comes after recent reports of Iran's escalation of nuclear warfare capabilities.
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“This is a very dicey situation," Pape said. “We want to create a strong message, but not force the escalation to a war with Iran. I think it will now be up to Iran. Will Iran decide it wants to lower the temperature here, or is Iran going to escalate the conflict?”
President Biden said the U.S. is not seeking conflict with the Middle East or anywhere else.
Pape also mentioned the attack that killed three service members is not the only recent attack by Iran-backed proxies. For months, they have launched relentless attacks on U.S. forces and international shipping in the region.
There have been more than 160 attacks on U.S. forces by Iran-backed groups since Oct. 7, according to the Pentagon.
“It’s crucial that President Biden sends a message of strength," Pape said. "America has enormous power and far more power than Iran’s proxies in the region.”
