Posted on 03/13/2020 6:40:04 AM PDT by Red Badger
(CNSNews.com) – U.S. forces carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed Iraqi militias overnight Thursday following a rocket attack on an Iraqi base that killed two U.S. troops and one British soldier.
The Pentagon said the airstrikes targeted facilities of Kata’ib Hezbollah (K.H.). The Qods Force-backed Shi’ite militia has a long history of attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq.
“These strikes targeted five weapon storage facilities to significantly degrade their ability to conduct future attacks against Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) coalition forces,” it said in a statement, referring to the U.S.-led coalition helping the Iraqis to defeat ISIS.
“These weapons storage facilities include facilities that housed weapons used to target U.S. and coalition troops,” it said.
“These strikes were defensive, proportional, and in direct response to the threat posed by Iranian-backed Shia militia groups (SMG) who continue to attack bases hosting OIR coalition forces.”
The Iraq Security Media Cell, which falls under the prime minister’s office, reported airstrikes around 1:15 AM Friday local time (6:15 PM U.S. eastern) on sites linked to the so-called Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition dominated by Qods Force-backed militias.
It said strikes were reported in Najaf, Alexandria, Al-Musayyib and Jurf Al-Nasr, all south of Baghdad.
Wednesday night’s Katyusha rocket attack on the Camp Taji, 20 miles north of Baghdad, cost the lives of two American and one British service member, and wounded 14 others.
“The United States will not tolerate attacks against our people, our interests, or our allies,” said Defense Secretary Mark Esper after the strikes. “As we have demonstrated in recent months, we will take any action necessary to protect our forces in Iraq and the region.”
At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing earlier Thursday, U.S. Central Command commander Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie spoke about loss of American lives or those of its allies as a “red line” as the U.S. confronts Iranian aggression via its proxies in the region.
“We may ultimately live with a low level of proxy attacks in the region. We may not be able to completely do away with that,” he said.
“I would tell you certainly, I would believe a ‘red line’ for the United States is going to be the death of U.S. service members or those of our partners and allies.”
‘That gave them something to think about’
After the IRGC Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ballistic missile strike that followed the killing of Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani, “they have stood their missiles down, they’re no longer – I don’t think that’s an imminent threat,” McKenzie said, referring specifically to state-on-state attacks on the United States.
“What has not been changed is their continuing desire to operate through their proxies, indirectly against us.”
“I believe that deterrence is born of an appreciation in the mind of the adversary of both capability and will,” he said. “And we over the last few months have demonstrated both of that.”
McKenzie agreed that the killing of Soleimani had “chastened” the regime’s leaders.
“They’ve never doubted out capability,” he said. “They often doubted our will. And I think that gave them something to think about.”
McKenzie said Iran’s objective was to get U.S. forces to leave Iraq, as a step to get them ejected from the region entirely.
While they were seeking to achieve that end through indirect attacks by their proxies, “Iran needs to understand that we hold them ultimately responsible for SMG attacks in Iraq.”
“You want to convince the ultimate source of the aggression [that is, Iran] that the object they pursue is too costly to pursue.”
McKenzie is due to provide more information about Thursday night’s airstrikes at a Pentagon briefing on Friday morning.
Kata’ib Hezbollah is the group the U.S. blamed for a Katyusha rocket attack on a base near Kirkuk in late December in which an American contractor was killed. The seven days that followed that attack saw retaliatory U.S. airstrikes on K.H. bases, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad come under attack by K.H. members and supporters, and the U.S. drone strike that killed Soleimani, together with a top K.H. leader, near Baghdad airport.
K.H. and another Iran-backed Iraqi militia, Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), are blamed together with their Qods Force handlers of responsibility for the deaths of around 500 U.S. military personnel in Iraq between 2005 and 2011.
Six months before the Obama administration withdrew the last U.S. troops at the end of 2011, K.H. claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack on U.S. forces of that year. Five 1st Infantry Division soldiers were killed in a June 6 assault on a base near Baghdad airport, and a sixth soldier later died of his injuries.
The U.S. has designated Kata’ib Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization since 2009, and added AAH to the FTO list immediately after the killing of Soleimani.
It goes something like this:
“There’s no such thing as a fair fight.” But we’re supposed to be measured, because they’re the underdog?
Trump, has identified 51 targets. Are these from the group?
If so, why not just tell them, 6 down, and 45 to go.
Not enough!!!! The air strikes should have been followed up by special force teams completely destroying each of the militias. As long as those militias are allowed to exist we can expect American deaths. Be proactive, not reactive. No one has ever won a war playing defense all the time.
They want to live in the 7th century, MAKE THEM LIVE IN THE 7th CENTURY!..........................
But we’re supposed to be measured, because they’re the underdog?
*************
Good point.
An attack is an attack regardless of who it comes from. If we want to ‘discourage’ such actions we have to respond with whatever action is necessary to convince the attacker to NEVER do it again. Because we are a superpower there seems to be a supposition that we should be restrained in how we deal with lesser countries. But that is a fallacy that only invites further aggression.
Talking about things like red lines, measured responses, and proportionality only reinforces the notion that we are reluctant to protect our interests. In fact, talk is perceived as weakness and indecisiveness in many cultures. We need to show resolve or we will continually be on the receiving end of costly acts in terms of lives and our national credibility.
But we’re supposed to be measured, because they’re the underdog?
*************
Good point.
An attack is an attack regardless of who it comes from. If we want to ‘discourage’ such actions we have to respond with whatever action is necessary to convince the attacker to NEVER do it again. Because we are a superpower there seems to be a supposition that we should be restrained in how we deal with lesser countries. But that is a fallacy that only invites further aggression.
Talking about things like red lines, measured responses, and proportionality only reinforces the notion that we are reluctant to protect our interests. In fact, talk is perceived as weakness and indecisiveness in many cultures. We need to show resolve or we will continually be on the receiving end of costly acts in terms of lives and our national credibility.
The “nothing to lose” scenario is the scary part.
Especially if they believe it will bring the “12th Imam”
I am a Korean war combat veteran. Once we had our forces in Korea, and with an excellent South Korean army (ROK), we could have easily driven the the NK and Chinese forces off the entire peninsula. But this was a UN operation and they didn’t want to go beyond the 38th Parallel because it might cause problems with China and Russia. The 38th was established after WWII when the winners divided up the spoils. But NK and ChiComs wanted to push the line back to Pusan. They kept attacking, over and over, and we could only push back to the 38th. Even the day before a ceasefire was signed, they attacked. We took heavy, heavy casualties paying defense. We should never take on a defensive war!!
[With the Coronavirus there and the falling oil prices threatening to destroy their economy, the Iranians may reach the point where they have “nothing to lose”.]
Once the mullahs have their nuclear weapon ready to go, I would expect Ezekiel 38 will follow shortly afterwards.
Time will tell.
One thing is for certain, the mullahs will keep going until they get some sort of mini-Armageddon.
Try 10x or 20x beyond proportional if you expect to deter them.
its coming the longer we wait the stronger they are
That’s just it. A “measured” response is for minor differences of opinion. These people want the free world DEAD. I have heard and repeated that to win a war, you:
Kill them.
Kill their wives, their children, their animals, and flatten every structure they have.
Then you kill them until they beg for mercy.
Then you start making the rubble you created bounce.
Then you kill them some more until YOU decide they have had enough.
Then you make them pay for the destruction they forced you to rain down upon their heads.
There is a reason the name Ghenghis Khan is still feared to this day in the Euro-Asian sphere.
The moon-worshippers need a little reminder of their true place on the hierarchy of civilization.
Coronavirus, falling oil prices, Iran may have reached the point where they have nothing to lose.
.....“The United States will not tolerate attacks against our people, our interests, or our allies,” said Defense Secretary Mark Esper after the strikes.
...boy, now THAT will put the fear of Allah into these
guys...!!! just one question: why in hell are we still
there....?? we have lost thousands of fine American
servicemember’s lives in this s**thole and the other one,
Afghananistan, and for what...?? Bring ‘em home, now....!!
The Bible has things to say about such
Actually, the president has in effect bombed them into economic destruction with devastating sanctions. His sanctions have been much more harmful than the 8th air force bombs.
Last week the Hezbollah surrogate allowed Lebanon to default on bonds. Iran has ceased funding Hezbollah and Lebanon defaulted. The trump actions are squeezing Iran to death with no kinetic physical action
The Iranian attack on the Aramco facilities at Abquiq were this week followed by Saudi Aramco increasing oil out put that reduced crude prices. Iran production is already very seriously impaired. What existing little iranian oil revenue remained is now diminished.
Iran cannot attack us except through surrogates. The Iraqi surrogates were counter attacked and seriously injured. But Iran continues to wither on the vine, to economically die
lol
Either bring our men and women home or authorize them to kill every raghead (men, women, children, livestock) within a 5000 mile radius of where they are stationed.
Flatten their cities, poison their wells and salt their ground, burn all their crops, kill all their cattle.
They want to live like 7th century barbarians, make them live like stone age barbarians, nothing but flaked stone tools and clubs.
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