POLITICO (“Republican hawks call for retaliation after 3 killed in Iranian-backed strike“):
Calls for retaliation began pouring in from Republican members of Congress moments after U.S. Central Command revealed Sunday that three U.S. service members were killed Saturday night at an American base in Jordan in a drone attack launched by Iranian-backed militias.
“It is time to act with purpose and resolve in response to attacks that have tragically taken the lives of American service members and injured scores more,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the ranking member on the Armed Services Committee said in a statement.
“We must respond to these repeated attacks by Iran and its proxies by striking directly against Iranian targets and its leadership. … It is time to act swiftly and decisively for the whole world to see.”
Some of Wicker’s fellow Senate Republicans made similar statements.
“The Biden Administration can take out all the Iranian proxies they like, but it will not deter Iranian aggression. I am calling on the Biden Administration to strike targets of significance inside Iran, not only as reprisal for the killing of our forces, but as deterrence against future aggression,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) made a similar call: “The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) initially didn’t mince words: “Target Tehran,” he posted, before later clarifying that it was not a call to bomb Iranian civilians.
“America must send a crystal clear message across the globe that attacks on our troops will not be tolerated,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
The tragedy, Majority Leader Steve Scalise posted, “was avoidable.”
“For years now Biden has emboldened Iran — sending them billions & tolerating their aggression against our troops. America must show strength,” the No. 2 House Republican said.
The House Intelligence Committee has requested a briefing on the situation in Jordan, according to a person familiar with the request.
“It’s long past time for President Biden to finally hold the terrorist Iranian regime and their extremist proxies accountable for the attacks they’ve carried out against U.S. and coalition forces,” Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chair of the House Armed Services Committee said in a statement.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), ranking member of the House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee, said he was “heartbroken” for the service members who were killed and urged the Biden administration to rapidly respond.
“We must hold those responsible accountable for this unjustifiable attack, and take further steps to protect our personnel in the region. I expect the Intelligence Committee will receive additional information on those efforts this week,” Himes said in a statement.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called for action that would cripple not just the organizations carrying out the attacks, but “their Iranian sponsors who wear American blood as a badge of honor,” as well.
“The time to start taking this aggression seriously was long before more brave Americans lost their lives,” McConnell said in a statement.
While political grandstanding by Congressional Republicans in the wake of the killing of three American soldiers is gross, it’s par for the course at this point. And, despite the headline claim that only “Republican hawks” are calling for a significant military response, serious players on both sides are doing so. Indeed, President Biden has all but said that one is coming.
AP (“Biden says US ‘shall respond’ after drone strike by Iran-backed group kills 3 US troops in Jordan“):
President Joe Biden said Sunday that the U.S. “shall respond” after three American troops were killed and dozens more were injured in an overnight drone strike in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border. Biden blamed Iran-backed militias for the first U.S. fatalities after months of strikes by such groups against American forces across the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
Biden, who was traveling in South Carolina, asked for a moment of silence during an appearance at a Baptist church’s banquet hall.
“We had a tough day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack on one of our bases,” he said. After the moment of silence, Biden added, “and we shall respond.”
With an increasing risk of military escalation in the region, U.S. officials were working to conclusively identify the precise group responsible for the attack, but they have assessed that one of several Iranian-backed groups was behind it.
[…]
Iran-backed fighters in east Syria began evacuating their posts, fearing U.S. airstrikes, according to Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet. He told The Associated Press that the areas are the strongholds of Mayadeen and Boukamal.
U.S. Central Command said at least 34 troops were injured by the one-way attack drone, with eight flown out of Jordan for follow-up care. It described the eight as being in stable condition.
The large drone struck a logistics support base in Jordan known as Tower 22. It is along the Syrian border and is used largely by troops involved in the advise-and-assist mission for Jordanian forces.
Central Command said approximately 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel were deployed to the base. The three who were killed and most of the wounded were Army soldiers, according to several U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to give details not yet made public.
The small installation, which Jordan does not publicly disclose, includes U.S. engineering, aviation, logistics and security troops. Austin said the troops were deployed there “to work for the lasting defeat of ISIS.” Three officials said the drone struck near the troops’ sleeping quarters, which they said explained the high casualty count.
The combination of multiple overlapping proxy fights in the region and the presence of U.S. forces in just about every country there made it almost inevitable that we would suffer casualties. We have already conducted multiple strikes on the Houthis and are supplying significant support to Israel in its war with Hamas, both Iranian proxies.
After this attack, we will almost surely target Iranian forces and/or bases directly. The political pressures to do so are just too high, especially in an election year. Doing enough to satisfy that demand while remaining below the threshold of forcing Iranian counter-retaliation is no easy feat.
