BREAKING: The US Has Launched Air Strikes in Syria

 

This is a developing story. Return to this post for updates.

UPDATE 1

 From the State Department:

At President Biden's direction, U.S. military forces earlier this evening conducted airstrikesagainst infrastructure utilized by Iranian-backed militant groups in eastern Syria. These strikes were authorized in response to recent attacks against American and Coalition personnel in Iraq, and to ongoing threats to those personnel. Specifically, the strikes destroyed multiple facilities located at a border control point used by a number of Iranianbacked militant groups, including Kait'ib Hezbollah (KH) and Kait'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS).

UPDATE 2

Daniel McAdams, Executive Director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity:

President Biden wasted no time in reversing Trump's disengagement strategy for the Middle East. After just over a month in office, President Biden is re-igniting the failed US intervention launched in 2014 against Syria under the Obama Administration.

UPDATE 3

Via Antiwar:

 The airstrike is being presented as retaliation for recent rocket attacks in Iraq, including one in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, that killed a contractor. The US often blames these types of attacks on Iran-aligned groups, but there are many forces inside Iraq that have their own reasons to fire on the US.

Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shia militia aligned with Iran, denied any role in the Erbil attack. With Iran seeking sanctions relief from the new administration, orchestrating such an attack does not seem to be in their interest.

UPDATE 4 

Syria got bombed quicker than you got your $2,000 checks

— George Papadopoulos (@GeorgePapa19) February 26, 2021

 -RW