THE STRIKE: The U.S. response to a series of rocket attacks in Iraq came in the early hours of the morning Syria time and targeted a series of buildings along the border, where Iranian-backed militias move freely back and forth into Iraq to carry out attacks.
The Pentagon said “defensive” airstrikes “destroyed multiple facilities located at a border control point,” and an Iraqi militia official told the Associated Press that one person was killed and several others wounded in the strike, which targeted “infrastructure utilized by Iranian-backed militant groups in eastern Syria.”
“The operation sends an unambiguous message,” said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby in a statement. “President Biden will act to protect American and coalition personnel. At the same time, we have acted in a deliberate manner that aims to de-escalate the overall situation in both eastern Syria and Iraq.”
BIDEN’S FIRST USE OF FORCE: The U.S. action was authorized by President Biden after an Iraqi investigation and U.S. intelligence confirmed what was suspected from the start, that Iranian proxy forces were behind recent rocket attacks, including one on Feb. 15 that killed one civilian contractor and wounded an American service member along with several other coalition troops at the Erbil airport in northern Iraq.
“It was my recommendation. We said a number of times that we will respond on our timeline,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters who were returning with him to Washington from California. “I’m confident in the target that we went after, we know what we hit.”
The buildings targeted in what was termed a “proportionate military response” were at a border control point used by a number of Iranian-backed militant groups, said the Pentagon, including Kataeb Hezbollah, or “Hezbollah Brigades,” and Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada. Syria war-monitoring groups said the strikes hit trucks moving weapons to a base for Iranian-backed militias in Boukamal, according to the Associated Press.
CONGRESSIONAL REACTION: Initial reaction to the strike was largely positive, especially from Republicans, who wondered if the administration’s initial hesitancy to blame Iran for the rocket attacks was due to Biden’s desire to restart nuclear negotiations with Tehran.
“Responses like this are a necessary deterrent and remind Iran, its proxies, and our adversaries around the world that attacks on U.S. interests will not be tolerated,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, the lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “I thank the president and our service members for protecting Americans overseas.”
“Most important (& welcome) aspects of US retaliatory strike vs Iranian-backed militia in Syria is it signals Iran that 1) US will not shy away from using military force when warranted & 2) Biden admin will not be deterred by its desire to reach agreement on nuclear issue,” tweeted Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations.
‘INCREDIBLY CALCULATED AND CALIBRATED’: The U.S. response was highly nuanced and “incredibly calculated and calibrated,” says Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
“These strikes protect Iraqi Prime Minister [Mustafa] Kadhimi from blowback in Iraq,” Behnam says. “Striking on the Syrian side of the border is one way to signal resolve against Iran-backed militias while also being cognizant of escalation dynamics in Iraq. In that regard, Washington is conveying how fragile Iraqi domestic politics really are.”
The strikes came after Biden consulted directly with Kadhimi in a phone call earlier this week.
The strike “raises more questions than answers,” Behnam suggests, including, “Will it be enough to deter and punish the pro-Iran militias? Will this mean the administration will hold Iran accountable in word and deed? Will they finally point a finger and mention Iran, or will this be a one-off? It’s too soon to tell.”
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Good Friday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Victor I. Nava. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.
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HAPPENING TODAY: Two former defense secretaries will weigh in publicly today about the Biden administration policy. At 10 a.m., Mark Esper, who was fired by former President Donald Trump after his election loss, will be interviewed by Michael O’Hanlon at a Brookings Institution event.
And at 2 p.m., Robert Gates, former defense secretary and CIA director, will sit down with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius for a discussion that will be livestreamed here.
KHASHOGGI REPORT COMING: There was no mention of the impending release of a U.S. intelligence report on the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the official readout of President Biden’s first phone call with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.
The White House said the two leaders discussed regional security, ending the war in Yemen, America’s commitment to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territory, and the “longstanding partnership” between the allies. “The president told King Salman he would work to make the bilateral relationship as strong and transparent as possible,” the White House said.
But relations between the two countries are expected to take a hit when the report is released and implicates Salman’s son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in the Khashoggi murder. Biden has already canceled arms sales that the Trump administration approved over the objections of Congress and has criticized Saudi Arabia for human rights abuses.
At the State Department, spokesman Ned Price declined to say what the Khashoggi report would conclude. “The murder of Jamal Khashoggi, it was a horrific crime,” he said. “This was enshrined in legislation that the administration should provide an unclassified version of the report to Congress as then DNI Designate Avril Haines first said, we intend to comply with the law, and … we will be in a position to do that very soon.”
WHY CAPITOL SECURITY REMAINS: The acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police told Congress yesterday that the enhanced security around the Capitol — including fencing topped with razor wire — remains necessary because of intelligence that violent extremists want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible” during President Biden’s first congressional address.
A date has not been set for Biden to address a joint session of Congress, something new presidents often do in February.
In testimony to a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, acting Chief of Police Yogananda Pittman said it would be “prudent” to “maintain its enhanced and robust security posture” until the security concerns are addressed.
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: U.S. carries out airstrikes against structure belonging to Iranian-backed militia in Syria
Washington Examiner: It’s crunch time for the Biden administration in Afghanistan
Washington Examiner: Blinken gives Saudis rebuke and reassurance ahead of Khashoggi report
Washington Examiner: ‘Spygate’ Stefan Halper’s disputed claims about Michael Flynn a focus of declassified documents
Washington Examiner: Space Force chief makes case for ‘purpose built’ service
Washington Examiner: Two Air Force pilots hospitalized after jet crash at Florida base
Washington Post: India and Pakistan announce cease-fire for first time in nearly 20 years
AP: Austin Visits Aircraft Carrier Nimitz; Weighs Warship Needs In Pacific, Mideast
New York Times: Back to Changed America After 10 Months in Bubble
Defense Daily: White House Doesn’t Have Timeline For Budget Release
Defense News: U.S. Military May Sidestep Big Budget Cuts Backed By Progressives
Seapower Magazine: Rebalanced Navy Can Push Back On Chinese Assertiveness, Analyst Says
USNI News: New Details of Russian Belgorod ‘Doomsday’ Submarine Revealed
Newsweek: Pentagon Brands Russia ‘Existential’ Threat As Joe Biden Condemns Nation’s ‘Recklessness’
Breaking Defense: B-52 Could Get New Hypersonic Missile: Global Strike Commander
Defense One: Troubled KC-46 Tankers Cleared for Limited Ops, Air Force Says
Washington Post: FAA fines Boeing $5.4 million for not fulfilling terms of long-running safety agreement
Air Force Magazine: TacAir Study Will Determine If F-35 Production Surge Needed
Defense One: F-35 Still the ‘Cornerstone’ Fighter, Top Air Force General Says
Real Clear Defense: The F-35’s Trillion Dollar Cost – How Did It Happen?
Air Force Magazine: USAF Considering Pilot Training Changes to Curb Flight Accidents
Stars and Stripes: Senators Press Pentagon Officials For Answers On How Many Troops Are Taking The Coronavirus Vaccine
Reuters: Philippines’ Duterte Says Still Undecided On Future Of U.S. Troop Deal
USA Today: A Reckoning Is Near’: America Has A Vast Overseas Military Empire. Does It Still Need It?
Washington Examiner: Opinion: The CIA should embrace ‘formers’
Calendar
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 26
9 a.m. — House Oversight and Homeland Security Committee hearing: “Weathering the Storm: The Role of Private Tech in the SolarWinds Breach and Ongoing Campaign,” with Sudhakar Ramakrishna, president and CEO, SolarWinds Corporation; Kevin Thompson, former CEO, SolarWinds Corporation; Kevin Mandia, CEO, FireEye, Inc.; and Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer, Microsoft Corporation. https://oversight.house.gov/legislation/hearings
10 a.m. — Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy virtual conference: “The Middle East and the New Administration,” with former Defense Secretary Mark Esper. https://www.brookings.edu/events
10 a.m. — Air Force Association 2021 Virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium with John Roth, acting Air Force secretary, Air Force Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other senior leaders. https://www.afa.org/events/calendar
11 a.m. — Woodrow Wilson Center Middle East Program’s virtual book discussion on The Unraveling of Syria and America’s Race to Destroy the Most Dangerous Arsenal in the World, with author Joby Warrick, national security correspondent for the Washington Post; former State Department Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS James Jeffrey, chairman of the WWC Middle East Program; and Robert Litwak, director of international security studies at WWC. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/red-line-unraveling-syria
12 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webinar, “Lessons Learned from a Cyberattack: A Conversation with SolarWinds (Part II),” with former National Security Agency general counsel Glenn Gerstell, senior adviser at CSIS; and Suzanne Spaulding, senior adviser at the CSIS Homeland Security, International Security Program. https://www.csis.org/events/lessons-learned-cyberattack
1 p.m. — Atlantic Council webinar: “Women’s Gains in Afghanistan: Healthcare’s Essential Role in Stabilizing Afghanistan,” with Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, president of the U.S. Naval War College and former provincial reconstruction team commander; former Afghan Deputy Minister of Health for Policy and Planning Diwa Samad, special aide to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani; Mariam Bayat, director of the Bayat Foundation; and Susan Yoshihara, founder and president of the American Council on Women, Peace, and Security. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event
2 p.m. — Washington Post live discussion: “A Conversation with Robert M. Gates,” former defense secretary and CIA director, moderated by David Ignatius, Washington Post columnist covering foreign affairs. https://robertgates.splashthat.com/
WEDNESDAY | MARCH 3
10:30 a.m. — Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress virtual book discussion on The Spymaster of Baghdad, an account of how a covert Iraqi intelligence unit called “the Falcons” came together to defeat ISIS, with author Margaret Coker, investigative journalist and editor-in-chief of the Current. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
FRIDAY | MARCH 5
11 a.m. — Brookings Institution webcast conversation with House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., moderated by Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow and co-director for Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/events
THURSDAY | MARCH 11
11 a.m. — National Taxpayers Union and R Street Zoom webinar: “Pentagon Purse Strings Episode 3: An Interview with Lisa Hershman, former Chief Management Officer of the Pentagon,” with Jonathan Bydlak, R Street Institute; Andrew Lautz, National Taxpayers Union; Mark Cancian, senior adviser with the CSIS International Security Program. https://rstreet-org.zoom.us/webinar/register
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The F-35 is a cornerstone of our [tactical aircraft] capability and for our fighter capability.”
Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, clarifying his earlier remarks comparing the pricey plane to a “Ferrari you only drive on Sundays.”
