In early March, the US launched airstrikes in eastern Syria. The bombings were targeted towards Iranian militias. Iranian attacks in Iraq during February killed several American contractors and soldiers. Biden cited the recent attacks as his reason for ordering the launch.
The US struck facilities on the Iraq-Syria border that were used as checkpoints for the Iranian militia. They chose to bomb the Syrian side in an effort to avoid confrontation with the Iraqi government, a partner with the US against ISIS. As a result, 22 people were killed in the explosions. By contrast, the initial Erbil attacks from Iran killed 2 people.
In terms of political backlash on Biden, congressional members criticize his lack of congressional authorization as the strikes were directly ordered by the commander-in-chief. Biden responded, claiming that the strikes were necessary to protect American authority. His publicized motive was to deter Iran from continuing to attack Americans, a stance ratified by Article II in the constitution. However, the controversy escalates as Biden technically violated the UN international charter, which states that an armed attack on a foreign country is only justified if the other country attacked their home soil. Since Iran did not target America, some argue that Biden violated this law.
These bombings are Biden’s entrance to military diplomacy. Party members on both sides argue that he should be trying to leave the Middle East, rather than escalate it. Especially with his continued efforts to form a Nuclear Power deal with Iran, the backlash against the bombings has been ubiquitous.
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