Washington

- A number of American commentators have questioned the feasibility of the American bombing of targets in Syria and Iraq, which the Pentagon said were used by Iranian-backed militias to attack American bases.

The targeting of the US military base in the "Al-Omar" oil field in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor (eastern Syria), with rocket-propelled grenades, on Sunday evening, which came less than 24 hours after the American attacks, prompted the question of the deterrence goal, which was repeated by US officials to justify the American attacks. .

Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken said, during his visit to the Italian capital on Sunday, that the US air strikes on the Iraqi-Syrian border aim to "disable and deter" attacks against Americans in Iraq, despite Baghdad's condemnation of them.

The response to the American attacks targeted an oil field that American circles call the "Green Village", where nearly 900 American soldiers are stationed to protect and support the Syrian Kurdish fighters against ISIS elements.

And the journalist who follows the affairs of the "Pentagon", Jack Deitch, considered that Biden is doing what Trump did, and he expects different results.

"President Biden is using the powers of Article II to justify last night's strikes against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, to protect American personnel in Iraq. This is the same logic that President Biden used last February to justify striking satellite facilities," Deitch tweeted. to Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq.

President Joe Biden meets with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the White House (Reuters)

Biden's criticism

While receiving Reuven Rivlin, Israel's outgoing president, at the White House, President Joe Biden referred to some US lawmakers, who believe he may have overstepped his authority with Sunday's strikes, and want him to ask Congress for permission before taking any military action.

"I directed last night's air strikes that targeted sites used by Iran-backed militia groups responsible for recent attacks on Americans in Iraq. I have that authority under Article Two," Biden said.

Journalist Deitch noted that the February attacks resulted in widespread anger among Democratic Party progressives, a scenario that is now expected.

"Biden's February strikes under Article II frustrated the left wing of the Democratic Party, which is working to give Congress more oversight of war powers, and we expect a similar reaction now," he tweeted.

For his part, Trita Parsi, an expert on Iran-US relations at the Quincy Institute in Washington, believes that Biden is repeating Trump's mistakes and expecting different results.

"Where to restore deterrence? Biden repeats Trump's same mistakes, same flawed logic, same flawed result. American forces are in the Middle East to counter potential attacks on American military forces in the Middle East," Parsi asked in a tweet.

President Biden's airstrikes were NOT authorized by Congress, as required by the Constitution.

The continued sidesstepping of Congress by the executive branch must stop.

Congress must reassert its war powers authority & end US involvement in endless conflicts around the world.

https://t.co/3mcQ0KtYpY

— Rep Peter DeFazio (@RepPeterDeFazio) June 28, 2021

Representative Peter DeFazio, a Democrat in the House of Representatives, attacked President Biden, saying in a tweet that "Congress did not authorize Biden to conduct airstrikes as required by the Constitution. Executive bypass must stop when the decision to launch attacks is made. Congress must reassert its authority in a resolution war, and ending the United States' participation in endless conflicts around the world."

In contrast, Republican Minority Leader of the Senate Armed Services Committee, James Inhofe, said in a statement that "the American bombing came late, but it reflects the need to renew or replace the authorization to use force issued in 2002 before considering its repeal, especially since the militias in Iraq poses a continuing threat to US forces."

Shaky floor in Baghdad

Concern is increasing within the American capital with the publication of reports indicating that Iran is developing its arsenal of drones, which can easily reach its allies inside Iraq.

A senior military official told POLITICO that "the increasing number of drone attacks represents an escalation aimed at increasing pressure on Washington to withdraw troops from Iraq, and these drones now carry larger payloads and are more accurate than before."

At the same time, the two Atlantic Council experts, William Wechsler and Christine Fontenrose, pointed out that Washington has damaged its position inside Iraq.

And they considered that "the United States is now standing on more shaky ground in Baghdad, especially with the Iraqi government's assertion that the American strikes are a violation of its sovereignty, and the next step may be the parliament's vote to expel American forces from the country."

And “if this happens,” the two commentators state, in an article for them published on the Atlantic Council website, “the supreme goal of Iran in Iraq is being achieved. The Iraqi forces trained by the Americans to confront ISIS are marginalized, and members of the Iraqi government who support a strong and lasting relationship between the United States And Iraq, they are silent in front of their peers loyal to Iran."

Iran and its supporting Iraqi militias involved in a very dangerous game of drones.

Uptick of attacks since January.

US may try to restore deterrence.

If Americans are killed, we're in for a bad escalatory cycle.

https://t.co/w2RFCeIdAQ

— Aaron David Miller (@aarondmiller2) June 28, 2021

Meanwhile, Aaron David Miller, a former State Department official and now an expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, warned of the danger of an escalation of military operations in Iraq between Washington and Tehran.

Miller tweeted, "Iran and the Iraqi militias supporting it are engaged in a very dangerous game of using drones. Attacks have been escalating since last January, while the United States is trying to restore deterrence. If Americans are killed because of these attacks, we will enter a cycle of no End escalation.