Replace(1908ET): Public outrage and big pushback has ensued after in a Monday interview White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre asserted that the three US troops killed by the drone strike in Jordan had died “combating on behalf of this administration”…that’s Biden, somewhat than America.
“Our deepest, clearly our deepest condolences exit, and our heartfelt condolences exit to the households who misplaced, uh, three, three courageous, uh, three courageous, uh, three courageous, three people who’re navy people, who’re courageous, who’re all the time combating, who’re combating on behalf of, uh, this administration…,” Jean-Pierre instructed MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”. She had within the second tried to shortly right by including after “administration”… the phrases “of the American individuals, clearly extra so, extra importantly.” Nonetheless, it reveals the obvious pondering and method of this administration. Watch:
Karine Jean-Pierre provides condolences to “three people who’re navy people who’re courageous who’re all the time combating, who have been combating on behalf of this administration…” pic.twitter.com/b5ka9hMjR2
— RNC Analysis (@RNCResearch) January 29, 2024
The three troopers who gave their lives are merely and casually “people” – as referenced within the interview. Additionally, we do not even actually should level this out, however one can solely think about the fashion and chaos if the Trump administration had ever claimed that fallen Individuals had died for his administration.
Jeremy Redfern, press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, was one amongst many who slammed her statements as “disgusting”. He tweeted, “Say what you’ll about this phrase salad, however the concept anybody within the navy is combating on behalf of any administration is exactly what’s flawed with the DC ruling class.”
Under are the identifies of the three Individuals who tragically misplaced their lives, who have been all serving in the identical Military unit primarily based out of Georgia: Sgt. William Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Spc. Brianna Moffatt, 23, of Savannah.
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Replace(1114ET): Some stunning particulars and admissions have emerged out of the Pentagon on Monday related to the drone assault on Jordanian base Tower 22, associated to the query of how the bottom’s anti-air defenses may have failed so badly. First, in our prior reporting (beneath), we linked to Moon of Alabama which requested some key questions not being addressed amid the frenzy of worldwide reporting and rising hypothesis [emphasis ZH]:
The reporting thus far doesn’t reply many arising questions. Tower 22 is on the Jordanian facet of the boarder however Jordan insists that no assault had occurred on its grounds.
One other anomaly are the excessive fee of wounded from the alleged drone strike. Drones are utilized in mass within the Ukraine struggle however the casualties they trigger are often lower than a handful per drone.
The extremely automated quick and medium vary air-defenses (C-RAMs, the equal of naval Phalanx weapons) on the base ought to be capable to shoot down any drone. Why did not they work?
Later within the day Monday, a few of these questions are being answered. The Wall Road Journal cited US officers who spoke to the failure of the bottom’s anti-air defenses:
The U.S. did not cease a deadly attack on an American navy outpost in Jordan as a result of the enemy drone approached its goal on the similar time a U.S. drone was additionally returning to base, U.S. officers stated Monday.
The return of the U.S. drone led to some confusion over whether or not the incoming drone was pal or foe, officers have concluded thus far.
The enemy drone was launched from Iraq by a militia backed by Tehran, U.S. officers stated. The outpost, Tower 22, sits in Jordan, arduous on the borders of Iraq and Syria.
In whole three US service members died and no less than 34 have been injured, with eight of those having been medically evacuated to a hospital in Germany.
At a second some US Congressional hawks are clamoring to start out a struggle with Iran, WSJ writes additional, “The U.S. has but to seek out proof to this point that Iran directed the assault, a U.S. protection official stated Monday.”
Under is an instance of a C-RAM in motion… that is what ideally ought to have occurred because the inbound enemy drone acquired nearer to the Tower 22 base:
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Iran has vehemently denied that it was behind the weekend drone assault on a Jordanian base close to the Syrian border which killed three American troops, and in line with a revised determine injured 34. A one-way drone reportedly slammed right into a tent which was housing troopers on the base, which is why casualties are so excessive, however questions remain.
Tehran has known as the accusations that it was behind the assault “baseless” after President Biden on Sunday vowed “We will reply”. Inside the hours after information of the assault on Jordan’s Tower 22 base there have been widespread stories that Iranian allied teams in Iraq and Syria have been briefly evacuating their bases, expending retaliatory airstrikes.
Iranian allies are actually bracing for a serious US response to the lethal assault on the Jordanian outpost, in line with the Wall Road Journal. Already there’s been an obvious Israeli airstrike on a Damascus suburb, ensuing within the deaths of two individuals, stated to be targeting an “Iranian-backed group”.
At the same time as Iran has denied involvement, an Iranian-linked group known as “Islamic Resistance of Iraq” has taken accountability for the Jordanian base assault. The core of the ‘resistance’ coalition in Iraq continues to be Kateeb Hizballah nonetheless, as Washington Put up explains additional of the details:
“Tower 22”, the U.S. base in NE Jordan the place three American troops have been simply killed, overlooks a Syrian refugee camp known as Rukban, the place 15,000 individuals have been dwelling for years. It is usually close to the Al-Tanf Garrison, the place a pair hundred U.S. troops are primarily based.
This can be a essential node between Iraq and Syria that Iranian militias have lengthy sought to manage. There have been a number of drone assaults on Tanf since Oct. 7. This can be a brazen escalation.
The group that can declare accountability calls themselves the “Islamic Resistance of Iraq,” however that is actually a submit Oct 7 umbrella group of IRGC sponsored militias. The precise attackers have been doubtless Kateeb Hizballah with help of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujab and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq.
The Washington Put up evaluation goes on to assert that Islamic Resistance of Iraq has direct IRGC backing and was shaped in an effort to “goal Individuals” – additionally at a second the Iraqi authorities has made clear that it desires US troops in a foreign country.
Iran seems to be searching for to chill tensions whereas bracing for potential strikes…
#Iran‘s ambassador to #Syria is now apparently distancing himself from the Reuters report which suggests an #IRGCterrorists command heart was focused by #Israel at present close to Sayyidah Zaynab. Avoiding stress to have to reply. pic.twitter.com/GciUhDFE61
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) January 29, 2024
The three US troop deaths represent the first American navy fatalities since Oct.7 and the struggle in Gaza started, although there have been over 150 assaults concentrating on US bases and outposts in Iraq and Syria. Whereas the preliminary assumption has been that the drone was launched from Syria, this has finally but to be decided pending a Pentagon investigation.
In the meantime, Axios reports that Biden’s nationwide safety workforce convened a number of occasions on Sunday. Biden and his high officers say {that a} “vital navy response” towards pro-Iranian militias is coming. “We do not need struggle however those that are behind this assault have to really feel our response,” one unnamed admin official instructed Axios on Sunday night.
What stays clear is that the US has as soon as once more backed itself right into a nook within the Center East. Sporadic ‘deterrent’ strikes both on militant camps or Houthi positions associated to the Crimson Sea disaster haven’t completed something, and but larger American navy intervention would inevitably result in one other all-out US struggle within the Center East and thus a brand new countless quagmire.
“We don’t desire a wider struggle with Iran, we don’t desire a wider struggle within the area, however we gotta to do what we gotta to do,” Nationwide safety (NSC) spokesman John Kirby said Monday. “We definitely know Iran is backing these teams … we’re taking it very critically.” It is by no means a great signal when the NSC, which is totally probably the most ‘insider’ of the deep state, shrugs and says “we gotta do what we gotta do…” in terms of issues of struggle (which as soon as upon a time required the authorization of the individuals’s direct representatives in Congress).
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