A massive US bombing campaign struck scores of targets in Iraq and Syria with over 100 bombs, leaving about 40 people dead, including civilians. President Joe Biden ordered the strikes as tensions in the Middle East are rapidly escalating.
On Friday, US Central Command announced the “military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from United States. The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions.”
On Saturday, Baghdad reported that 16 Iraqis, including civilians, were killed. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that the Syria strikes had killed 23 militia fighters. The Syrian Defense Ministry said militants and civilians were killed without providing a figure.
Baghdad and Damascus issued statements blasting Washington over the strikes. Last week, three American soldiers were killed in Jordan near the Syrian border with a drone. Biden vowed to respond to the deaths of the American troops by striking Iranian-linked targets in the Middle East.
The White House did not seek Congressional authorization for starting the war. Additionally, the White House admitted it could not directly link Tehran to the strike in Jordan. It does not appear that any Iranians were killed by US forces on Friday. In a separate incident, one Iranian officer was reported killed in Syria, likely by an Israeli air strike that took place before the American attack.
National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said the strikes were aimed at de-escalating tension in the regions. However, The Islamic Resistance of Iraq conducted retaliatory strikes the next day against bases housing US soldiers.
The Islamic Resistance of Iraq and other Shia militias that operate in the region began targeting bases housing US soldiers in mid-October in response to the Israel onslaught in Gaza. The White House is fighting a war with similar roots against the Houthis in Yemen. While Israel has used American weapons to unleash widespread destruction and massive death on Gaza, the White House has continued to defend Tel Aviv’s rampant war crimes in the Strip.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
George Orwell, 1984
Touché!
Kirby is such a terrible and obvious compulsive liar that it’s amazing that anyone is dumb enough to make him a spokesman for anything.
If he were announcing bake sales to buy new uniforms for the local high school baseball team, I’d suspect I was being conned in some way.
LOL!
LOL. Agreed. But do you know who could be dumber than that? …I know dumber is probably hard to achieve, but humor me. How about the reporters in attendance, wasting their lives, asking him questions, and reporting his answers as news?
“the reporters in attendance, wasting their lives, asking him questions, and reporting his answers as news?”
By reporters, do you mean the regime stenographers?
LOL. 100%! I could have been more accurate and economical on my words if I used your term.
I got that term from Glenn Greenwald. Greenwald is acidic on the subject, and rightfully so.
He is fantastic and you are too!
I just watched a Youtube documentary on George Orwell last night.
I hate Orwell. Why does he have to be always right?
He was a strange dude. That’s for sure.
Drooling idiots in charge of the asylum.
“And they’ll tell you black is really white,
The moon is just the sun at night,
And when you walk in golden halls,
You get to keep the gold that falls.”
Heaven and Hell
Ronnie James Dio, 1980
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8a950d2e667c2c4f6b9dc041404926a62ae10f38a868d0ac53d5ca8b1a57af2b.jpg
Lol………..
Russia?
nope
LOL.
If you vote Dem or Rep you are an accessory to mass murder.
Maxim Gorky also was an accessory to mass murder
Did you pay any federal taxes last year? If so you help fund “mass murder” which makes you an accessory to mass murder.
Wow, two times in one day you’ve said something true.
However, I don’t pay taxes, so I’m not.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2d0f33d7c60304f57ebbbb5bb57a56bf22509d23b4cae0275e32e148144ab69b.jpg
ROTFLMAO!
Yup, and this year there isn’t going to be even a credible argument for lesser-evil votes for candidates of the two wings of the Uniparty.
I received a monthly newsletter from one of my US senators, a Democrat, the other day. There was a long list of blurbs about various issues, but not one word about war, peace, or genocide. I I wrote back to suggest that Democrats, especially, are quite likely to be in serious trouble this election year because their slavish dedication to supporting Israel’s slaughter is so out of sync with the views of much of their voting base.
I don’t see much evidence, yet, that they understand that. Maybe they can’t bring themselves to read and believe the polls.
Edit: At the moment, 270ToWin’s pundit consensus has the Electoral College at 235 Republicans to 226 Democrats, with 77 EC votes in six swing states.
Per the averages of the latest polls at Real Clear Politics, all of the six swing states, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan Pennsylvania and Georgia, are showing majorities (some very small) for Trump.
Last week I received an e-mail from the campaign of Nancy Pelosi, asking for money. I sent a message back telling the campaign to pound sand.
You should’ve told her you have no insider track on her stocks and sorry.
I got one last week from Putin asking for money. I sent a message back telling the campaign to eat a d!ck and go F themselves in Ukraine.
Putin doesn’t need your welfare money, or food stamps. However, the Dem party and especially Genocide Joe will take anything you want to give him. Doesn’t have to be 10% of your government check.
Oh yes he does, he doesn’t use his own hundreds of billions for campaigning or funding his personal war. He takes it from the Russian people.
BTW, Bill, You are an idiot if you think that, me, a retiree and currently fully employed could be on welfare money or food stamp.
I bet you are the hypocrite being on both.
.
ROTFLMAO!
Lol
Well that is good for Israel. No doubt Trump will approve more Israel annexation of land.
Yes, Trump might well do that. However, that possibility doesn’t make voting for Genocide Joe an acceptable choice. Complicity in genocide is disqualifying. Period.
Do you think that Trump would stop the war in Gaza? Nope, he tell them go ahead do what you need to do. If Trump is elected, he will allow Israel to have a real Genocide. You know where the numbers of deaths are measured in the millions.
For once you’ve said something that is true. Of course only because you’re as big a moron as Trump – if that’s possible.
Genocide Joe has already allowed them a real genocide, provided the bombs for it, rushed it through for them, and flatly refused to do anything to stop them.
I know right? …Everybody is upset about the cost. Have you heard about Biden-omics? …Killing their civilians is priceless! (Sick Sarcasm but it’s probably in there somewhere)
This
How “blowing things up” might “de-escelate tensions” could be that the demons running our government derive sexual gratification from murderous violence, and they’re reporting on the post-ejaculatory relief of their own inner tensions.
It’s the only explanation that makes any sense.
I wish I could argue that it doesn’t makes sense. Alas, I cannot.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1be1e5504a9837801fe7136f9f757f8eea92497f3cd87bcc65c9afb5c0f91779.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4728318836fecb51b2a0a435efb69c1b4f4b69a380896315d58c28e97d5af432.jpg
LOL!
omg that is a G.I. Jesus 11.5″ action figure complete with kung-fu grip.
nothing says “give peace a chance” quite like a kung-fu grip.
shit, i just dated myself didn’t i.
Welcome back, Spy! Where have you been?
i was waiting for some more blood-pressure medicine
LOL. How about a beer 🍺
Gives a new meaning to “armed to the teeth.”
WE WANT BLOODY PEACE! NOT MORE BLOODY WAR!
Extend your bloody petitions for peace to the other belligerents / state actors.
Start there and you may gain more credibility.
Whatever the US does from here-on-in will be irrelevant, because the decision to oust the US from the Middle East has already been made by Russia, Iran and Turkey at the 24-25 January Astana Meeting. It’s now only a matter of time, which is running out for brutal US hegemony.
US will wear out a lot sooner than the resistance groups…!
This is from the link provided. I read down until I found a question that even remotely challenged anything Kirby or Sims said. I didn’t read past this part of the link, so I don’t know if there were any other questions that weren’t softball in nature.
MODERATOR: Thank you. For our next question we’ll go with Kimberly from Al Jazeera.
Q Hi. You said that your targets were selected to avoid civilian casualties and you had clear and irrefutable evidence that the targets were connected to attacks on U.S. personnel in the region. Can you tell us what that clear and irrefutable evidence was?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL SIMS: Ma’am, I’m not going to get into our intelligence collection. I would just say we spent a good amount of time discerning the appropriate targets here. And in this case, we’re confident that we got after targets that were associated with the continued attacks against Americans.
Q How do you expect, sort of, the American public to trust the intelligence? Do you just expect them to take your word for it?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL SIMS: Yes.
Q Do you feel that the American military has a good track record when it comes to —
MR. KIRBY: We’re going to move on to the next question. Thank you.
Q Okay. I just — everyone else has had a chance to finish. I just want to double check. Will you be making any of this public in any way? Or will you have a chance for reporters —
MR. KIRBY: Kimberly, that’s what we’re doing right now. It’s what we’re doing right now, ma’am. We are sitting here talking to you guys on the record.
Q Excuse me —
MR. KIRBY: We’re going to move on.
Q Okay. So you will give reporters —
MR. KIRBY: We’re going to move on. Thank you.
Q — the chance to see the evidence?
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2024/02/02/on-the-record-press-call-on-u-s-military-operations-in-the-middle-east/
Last Q –
Mr. Kirby…. Are you lying in any of your statements so far…?!
Mr. Kirby: What else do you expect from a US politician…! We’re going to move on…!
That’s funny, Dude! But you know what’s funnier than what you said? …Tequila disliked your post.
Some civilians got killed in an air raid. Who will be the first to call what the US did genocide?
The US has been complicit in genocide for months. These raids are just more support for the ongoing genocide.
The better question is who will be the first to explain to everyone here on antiwar why this was a good thing?
War is never a good thing Frank.
The same idiots that explained to everyone here over the last two years on antiwar why Russia invading and annexing Ukraine was a good thing.
Seriously man? Is that how you downplay what is going on in Gaza? Get a grip.
From Moon of Alabama:
Daniel McAdams @DanielLMcAdams – 11:01 UTC · Feb 3, 2024
The Biden Administration just literally just blew up all the weapons of the Iraqi brigade that was fighting ISIS!
Let that sink in…
Hawkeye1812Z @Hawkeye1745 22:09 UTC · Feb 2, 2024
🇺🇸💥🇮🇶Footage shows the explosions of the headquarters of the
Anbar Operation Command & the headquarters of the 13th Hashd
al-Sha’bi Brigade, after it was targeted by US raids, in the Anbar
province of Iraq
That is is unit which is fighting ISIS … 🤔
Embedded video
Perfect.
A must-read by b over at MoA:
Ending The U.S. Presence In Middle East
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2024/02/ending-us-presence-in-middle-east.html
Just now.
CNN Breaking news:
US and UK strike Houthi targets in Yemen one day after US strikes in Iraq and Syria
Wait for it, tomorrow:
Dave DeCamp Breaking news:
US and UK strike Houthi targets in Yemen one day after US strikes in Iraq and Syria; over 100 Women and Children reported killed.
Just because you make a joke out of it, doesn’t mean it won’t be true. Then again, everything to you is a joke.
That’s right, ANAL YZER, everything is a joke, like you.
BTW, Why did you change your last avatar? It was some muslim dude. Now you are a white dude.
What happened? Going through insecurities or just trying to fit in better?
What was the price tag for that chest-thumping operation?
How much are body parts going for these days?
Don’t have an answer to that, but the price of our lost souls?
Sky high and getting higher every day.
Those bombs were fully depreciated. That was according to that failed audit we all heard about, but for some reason we never remember.
The US is making me to start wonder who WE really are anymore?…
Do we effort to utilize peace like we are suppose to, per God and Christ?
Or do we simply defy… Sound familiar?…
“Could it be Satan?”…..(SNL)
We are descendants of settler colonists, or related, and, apparently, the best of teachers of despotic leaders. We have taught the Zionist well, as Netanyahu has constantly thrown back into the face of the Biden administration. We have done it all.
Mentally defect?…
Unfortunately, yes. Unrestricted capitalism leads to Satanism.
Interesting claim. Makes me think of a guy who came to power because of the alleged failures of unrestricted capitalism in Russia.
Wait, which guy was that?
The man who managed to put an end to unrestricted capitalism in Russia.
Is that what he means? Does Knapp actually associate Putin with Satanism? In fairness, I think he should answer for himself.
He confused the shores. As many Americans do.
“Does Knapp actually associate Putin with Satanism?”
No. Mikhailovich does. He says that unrestricted capitalism leads to Satanism. In Russia, supposedly unrestricted capitalism led to Putin. QED, per Mikhailovitch, Putin is the Antichrist.
OK. I may be less confused now.
Exactly so. That’s why all the world is looking at him with a great hope, as if he is Savior himself.
LOL.
But according to your statement, he’s the Antichrist.
Who is GOD?! A sick fuck or Christ like. Even Christ questioned GOD!…
…
…
AND I WILL CONTINUE TO QUESTION EVEN IF HE SMITES ME TOO???!
Perhaps the other sick fuck, Prophet Mohammad is more your lane.
If there is such a thing, sick fuck.
What’s a few more dead brown peasants? These are trivialities to the fascists among us. Look at them here in this very comment section. For them 10,000 + dead children is business as usual.
Americans killing people in Syria and Iraq is the new normal.
No one conside5rs them to be human any longer just statistics and headlines for Biden to campaign on.
Can someone explain WHY they HATE US? It’s inexplicable.
You mean the people who own and run our country, right? 😏
Stupidity is an absolute requirement for getting important government jobs.
Civilian Deaths? No problem. That’s our MO. That’s the way we roll….
cf. Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, Gaza, ……
Hey, we’re the most efficient (well, not really) killers in history (see Genghis Biden???, Joe Tamerlane??? ……) No Way! Our boy is strictly minor league when it comes to our esteemed ancestors.
But as he has been his entire career, always trying to impress….
If the US wants to escalate this war then they have done exactly what is needed. Expect to hear of the deaths of more American service members very soon.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a0cd98b50944ee4ef0095069e5081bef0952f4d4a2b0578e50b8ae6501ba8d33.jpg
Biden: ‘Our nation’s children are all our children’
A completely clueless, evil POS. A Hannah Arendt poster ogre.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e4dcb51e33ef7bf8122b6b9bc847828892b7e9910aa490c20b1a9aca79aee966.jpg
Thanks for this, … has a good deal more substance now.
Because of our past actions in the middle east and because we still have troops there, we must dissuade others from going after them. We also can’t just pull out of the middle east precipitously because that would only benefit armed thugs. We’re stuck with the status quo. But we can start evolving into a more enlightened participant in the middle east.
Washington enlists in BB’s regional war, protesting all the while, “It doesn’t want a wider war.”
Clare daly is wonderful … calling out Butcher Biden & Frau Genocide.