Biden orders attack on targets in Iraq-Syria border region
The U.S. Defense Department issued an official statement regarding the attack by American forces on pro-Iranian militias, emphasizing that "President Biden has been clear that he will act to protect U.S. personnel"
Dan Arkin
| 29/06/2021
U.S. President Joe Biden. Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times/Abaca Press via REUTERS
"At President Biden's direction, U.S. military forces earlier this evening conducted defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region," the U.S. Defense Department said in an official statement on Sunday's attack in which, according to various reports, between four and 11 members of pro-Iranian militias were killed.
It is very rare for the Defense Department to issue a detailed statement on an attack and to emphasize that the attack was carried out at the direction of the president. The statement also said that "The targets were selected because these facilities are utilized by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq. Specifically, the U.S. strikes targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq, both of which lie close to the border between those countries. Several Iran-backed militia groups, including Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), used these facilities."
"As demonstrated by this evening's strikes, President Biden has been clear that he will act to protect U.S. personnel. Given the ongoing series of attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting U.S. interests in Iraq, the President directed further military action to disrupt and deter such attacks. We are in Iraq at the invitation of the Government of Iraq for the sole purpose of assisting the Iraqi Security Forces in their efforts to defeat ISIS."
"The strikes were both necessary to address the threat and appropriately limited in scope. As a matter of domestic law, the President took this action pursuant to his Article II authority to protect U.S. personnel in Iraq," the statement by the Defense Department said.
The U.S. Defense Department issued an official statement regarding the attack by American forces on pro-Iranian militias, emphasizing that "President Biden has been clear that he will act to protect U.S. personnel"
U.S. President Joe Biden. Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times/Abaca Press via REUTERS
"At President Biden's direction, U.S. military forces earlier this evening conducted defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region," the U.S. Defense Department said in an official statement on Sunday's attack in which, according to various reports, between four and 11 members of pro-Iranian militias were killed.
It is very rare for the Defense Department to issue a detailed statement on an attack and to emphasize that the attack was carried out at the direction of the president. The statement also said that "The targets were selected because these facilities are utilized by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq. Specifically, the U.S. strikes targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq, both of which lie close to the border between those countries. Several Iran-backed militia groups, including Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), used these facilities."
"As demonstrated by this evening's strikes, President Biden has been clear that he will act to protect U.S. personnel. Given the ongoing series of attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting U.S. interests in Iraq, the President directed further military action to disrupt and deter such attacks. We are in Iraq at the invitation of the Government of Iraq for the sole purpose of assisting the Iraqi Security Forces in their efforts to defeat ISIS."
"The strikes were both necessary to address the threat and appropriately limited in scope. As a matter of domestic law, the President took this action pursuant to his Article II authority to protect U.S. personnel in Iraq," the statement by the Defense Department said.
