Despite Secretary of State Antony Blinken's pledge to halt costly interventions and regime change operations, the US continues its military buildup in northeastern Syria. According to security analyst Mark Sleboda, one may expect the US to step up funding jihadi proxy ops in Syria and play the chemical weapons card to oust President Bashar Assad.
On 3 March, the White House said it wasn't ruling out new “calculated, proportionate” US airstrikes in response to a missile attack on the Al Asad air base in Iraq's Anbar Province earlier in the day. “If we assess a further response is warranted, we will take action again in a manner and time of our choosing”, press secretary Jen Psaki said.
Last Wednesday's strike, which claimed no lives except for one contractor who died of a heart attack, came two days before Pope Francis' official visit to Iraq.
On 25 February, the Pentagon shelled the purported positions of an Iraqi Shia militia in eastern Syria, following a 16 February strike in northern Iraq that killed a civilian contractor and injured a US servicemember.
Why Syria Was Chosen as a Target
It's highly likely that the Biden administration's next strike will target Syrian territory again, suggests Mark Sleboda, a US military veteran and international affairs and security analyst, outlining his vision of the strategic balance of power in the region.
One glaring example of the domestic outcry is a 22 February NBC News' op-ed by Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for the…
