America strikes back
Army Reserve Sgts. William Rivers, Kennedy Sanders and Breonna Moffett (the latter two posthumously promoted after the trio were killed in a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday) came back to the United States yesterday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, their flag-draped steel transfer cases removed from an aircraft in the presence of the entire top level of the Pentagon.
Among the witnesses were President Biden and the first lady, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Charles Brown, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Troy Black, Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer, Commander of U.S. Army Reserve Command Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels and Command Sergeant Major Andrew Lombardo of the Army Reserve, as well as both U.S. senators from Georgia, the home state of the fallen soldiers.
The three soldiers, killed by terrorists in Iraq and Syria loyal to Iran, were part of the 45,000 American troops stationed in eight Arab countries in the Near East. The 3,000 in Jordan, as well as 800 in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq, are part of Operation Inherent Resolve, which is the international campaign against the fanatics of ISIS. That ISIS continues to target Iran and just inflicted the worst terrorist atrocity in Iranian history, murdering almost 100 and injuring many more, doesn’t seem to register with the mullahs promoting terror against our forces.
Soon after the top brass returned to Washington from Delaware yesterday, Biden unleashed the start of the response to the attacks on U.S. troops. Supersonic B-1B Lancer heavy bombers were part of the mix in striking four locations in Syria and three in Iraq, encompassing dozens of targets with more than 125 precision-guided munitions. In the bullseye: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups.
This is the start, as Biden said: “Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing. The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond.”
The IRGC thought that having their proxies attack us was a safe way to avoid repercussions. Not so. By naming the culprits, Biden has put them in the crosshairs. They will not be safe in Iraq, in Syria, anywhere.
The assaults from Iran’s puppets in Syria and Iraq began after another Iranian ally, Hamas, launched its murderous pogrom against Israel on Oct. 7. The same for the attacks by the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, all doing Tehran’s bidding, while leaving the ayatollah out of the direct fight. He benefits from murder and chaos, while sitting back. All towards his goal to drive American troops out of friendly countries like Kuwait (13,500), Bahrain (9,000), Saudi Arabia (2,700), Qatar (10,000) and the UAE (3,500). It will not succeed. We will not run.
Sgts. Rivers, Sanders and Moffett died serving their country and all of humanity in putting down ISIS. Their duty is now done, having been returned home with honor. But their comrades in arms will carry on the fight in their name.