White House: Syria Strikes ‘Aimed at Sending a Message’ That Biden Will Act to ‘Protect Americans’.
Washington also says that future US actions will be aimed at ‘deescalating tensions’ in the region.
Thursday’s airstrikes against “Iran-backed,” Baghdad-allied Iraqi militias in eastern Syria were necessary to reduce the danger of further attacks, and were designed to send a message that President Biden will act to “protect Americans,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki has announced.
Calling the strikes “proportionate” and saying they had undergong a “thorough legal process,” the spokeswoman suggested they were carried out in accordance with his presidential authority under the Constitution “to defend US personnel.”
In a separate statement, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that Thursday’s attack saw two US-15 jets fire a total of seven precision-guided missiles at two facilities in eastern Syria, destroying them.