Americas

Biden Says Decided How to Respond to Attack on US Base in MidEast, Doesn't Want Wider War

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he has decided how to respond to the drone attack on a military base on Jordan-Syria border that killed three US soldiers, but indicated that he does not want a wider war in the Middle East.
Sputnik
"Yes," Biden told reporters when asked whether he has chosen a response, adding, "I don't think we need a wider war in the Middle East, that's not what I'm looking for."
Biden also said he holds Iran partly responsible for the deadly attack on the US troops.
"I do hold them responsible in the sense that they're supplying the weapons to the people who did it," Biden said.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby in turn said that the guiding principle of US President Joe Biden's decision on responding to the drone attack is ensuring that Washington continues to degrade the capabilities of the groups attacking US forces.
When asked what is the guiding principle as the president makes his decision, Kirby said that it was making sure that the US continues to degrade the kinds of capabilities that these groups have at their disposal to use against US troops and facilities.
"And to send a strong signal to their backers in the IRGC that these attacks are unacceptable, and we are going to do, the president will do what he has to do to protect our troops and our facilities, and to look after our national security interests in the region," he added.
World
Direct US Attack on Iran Would Open Pandora's Box – Mideast Experts
On Sunday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said three US soldiers had been killed and 25 others injured in a drone attack at a US military base in Jordan's northeast near the border with Syria. On Monday, CENTCOM said the number of injured US soldiers had risen to 34, eight of whom had to be evacuated. Jordanian cabinet spokesman Muhannad Mubaidin said that the strike targeted the US's Al-Tanf base in Syria, not a base on Jordanian territory.
US President Joe Biden pinned the blame on unspecified Iran-backed militant groups, while also saying the US was still gathering the facts. Iran has denied playing any role in the attack.
On Monday, US media reported that US President Joe Biden discussed a "significant military response" to the attack during a meeting with top US officials on Sunday. Later in the day, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the White House was seeking to respond to the attack "in a very consequential way," but was not willing to escalate tensions in the Middle East.
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