Is Iran attempting to distract America from Ukraine?

[skuthorp]

Or have they larger ambitions?
"Earlier today, a U.S. contractor was killed and five U.S. service members and one additional U.S. contractor were wounded after a one-way unmanned aerial vehicle struck a maintenance facility on a Coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria at approximately 1:38 p.m. local time.
The intelligence community assess the UAV to be of Iranian origin."
https://www.defense.gov/News/Release...ly-uav-attack/

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Who are the members of this coalition?

And what are they doing on Syrian soil?

This hints at an inability to understand the nature of sovereignty - you shouldn't just invade a country because it borders Israel.

[Johan R]

Biden says the same things Putin does, regarding their own troops on foreign soil and "rights to protect". International Law, or Rules Based Order need not apply. Who set the precedent?

President Joe Biden said the US ‘does not seek conflict with Iran’ but would respond ‘forcefully’ to attacks on US forces in Syria.

[skuthorp]

Haa, that's a laugh unless you happen to be under the bombs. Might and money is right. Israel has wedged the west thoroughly. But they have their own internal problems now more so than most. They are as divided as America at present.

[shortboot]

I believe you will see many countries taking advantage of the incompetence of biden.

[Ted Hoppe]

There are still large units of ISIS backed fighters around there. The US is there keeping ISIS from striking and keeping the Kurds safer.
1 us contractor was killed doing their job, 5 service members were injured, 4 flown out via medivac. The base has had hundreds of attacks over the years there. Keeping the peace and our friends alive should be priority.

As a father of an active service member - i am concerned. What ever response and deterrence to keep my military family safe while conducting a mission of peace and security - i am cool with it. If you want to talk policy that is a different topic.

[Johan R]

. The base has had hundreds of attacks over the years there. Keeping the peace and our friends alive should be priority.

Are you surprised? Foreign troops in a country you were not invited to operate in. So you would be fine if Russian or Chinese troops took over an oil rich part of the US and siphoned off the oil exports and stole the resource from the American people, or are you going to claim American exceptionalism?

The military is being used as private security to protect Conocos facility......your tax money, your family member, not for the benefit and safety of the US homeland, but for a corporation.

[JimD]

The usual list of publicity seeking Republican morons who couldn't find Syria with a Google search might try to make something of it. But America in general (ie the Pentagon) has gotten pretty good at multi-tasking over the years.

[Johan R]

There was a vote in Congress last week that was overwhelmingly voted against, regarding the withdrawal of US troops in Syria. These are the same Congress people who vote for sanctions against Russia for invading another country and stealing another nations grain and wheat, while protecting their interests stealing in Syria.

[Ted Hoppe]

Are you surprised? Foreign troops in a country you were not invited to operate in. So you would be fine if Russian or Chinese troops took over an oil rich part of the US and siphoned off the oil exports and stole the resource from the American people, or are you going to claim American exceptionalism?

The military is being used as private security to protect Conocos facility......your tax money, your family member, not for the benefit and safety of the US homeland, but for a corporation.

It could it be that if the US troops are there and people can live in peace there; fewer folks getting gassed or fleeing their homes to move to Europe and North America? Examine the reason why were got there verses through a single lens and yout find it is at least - two fold. one was to stop ISIS (bands of thousands radicalized men) from killing and raping to form a new caliphate of evil and second it was to stop the brutal Syrian government from mass murder based on the response to the Arab Spring. By the way there are still Russian troops not that far away (may have even helped in the attack). much few than there were before because the are on a mission to kill, topple and seize Ukraine 1200 miles away. Yes, the Chinese could be there but they are not seen as policemen of the world. If they were to go there, it would be for business reasons only.

I am sure many of our European friends are happy that we are there. The gas that flows from Syria does go to Europe since Russian oil is less desirable. Stabilizing the region so people are not forced to flee keeps the European nations better able to cope with the current crisis of mass immigrant population into their countries.

[JimD]

Are you surprised? Foreign troops in a country you were not invited to operate in. So you would be fine if Russian or Chinese troops took over an oil rich part of the US and siphoned off the oil exports and stole the resource from the American people, or are you going to claim American exceptionalism?

The military is being used as private security to protect Conocos facility......your tax money, your family member, not for the benefit and safety of the US homeland, but for a corporation.

It's not that you're wrong to point out the hypocrisy of how power and propaganda actually works on this planet. It's that anything that hints at a justification of what Russia is doing in Ukraine is doomed and will be rejected. And so it should be, imo.

[Keith Wilson]

Is Iran attempting to distract America from Ukraine?

Short answer, no. Whatever the faults or virtues of US and Iranian policy, this is a stupid little border incident, minor poking at the US, and has nothing to do with Ukraine.

[ERGR]

I appreciate that the US Army has a presence in Syria. ISIS is still a threat and the Syrian regime cannot be trusted. Every state has a responsibility to control their territory so it cannot be used as a safe place for terrorists. Syria failed doing that and the world had to act, so the US presence is well motivated.

[Johan R]

I am sure many of our European friends are happy that we are there. The gas that flows from Syria does go to Europe since Russian oil is less desirable. Stabilizing the region so people are not forced to flee keeps the European nations better able to cope with the current crisis of mass immigrant population into their countries.

I wonder how many European friends you have. You miss the point of why the EU was flooded by refugees from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan in the first place......US intervention in a foreign policy specifically to de-stable the Middle East

we’re going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran. Gen.W.Clarke

[Keith Wilson]

You miss the point of why the EU was flooded by refugees from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan in the first place......US intervention in a foreign policy specifically to de-stable the Middle East

Right. The Syrian civil war had nothing to do with it.

Sorry, but not every problem is caused by US policy.

[ERGR]

It's on behalf of the Kurds and other people threatened by ISIS that I'm happy the US stays in Syria. A positive side effect is that fewer people have to flee to Europe. I have little knowledge and therefore no opinion on export of gas and oil via Syria.
/Erik

[Johan R]

Sorry, but not every problem is caused by US policy.

we’re going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran. Gen.W.Clarke

It was US policy. US has a long history of being supportive or stoking civil wars, are you so naive?

[LeeG]

I appreciate that the US Army has a presence in Syria. ISIS is still a threat and the Syrian regime cannot be trusted. Every state has a responsibility to control their territory so it cannot be used as a safe place for terrorists. Syria failed doing that and the world had to act, so the US presence is well motivated.

Terrorists, criminals and crooks find the same places to operate as saints, patriots and cooks. The presence of a military base doesn’t keep them away.

[LeeG]

Right. The Syrian civil war had nothing to do with it.

Sorry, but not every problem is caused by US policy.

The invasion of Iraq unleashed waves of refugees in the millions. They added stress to Syrian society compounded by internal stresses caused by drought and Syria’s internal dysfunction. So no, US invading Iraq did not cause Syria’s civil war but it and the invasion of Afghanistan helped push many millions out of their homes into nearby countries. We are not nearby.
Syria has about three times the population of Minnesota and about 1.2 -1.5 million Iraqi’s fled to Syria so imagine Minnesota taking in 400,000 to 500,000 people fleeing war. Quick googling it looks like Minnesota has taken in about ten thousand refugees in the last five to ten years. My impression is that Minnesota is pretty welcoming to refugees.

So no, every problem is not caused by US policy but you cannot dismiss the suffering that our war in Iraq and Afghanistan caused to neighboring people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugees_of_Iraq

Numbering over 1.2 million, Iraqi refugees comprise a large portion of Syria's population of 18 million.[21] This has caused an increase in the cost of living and caused a strain on infrastructure.[1][21] Sources like oil, heat, water and electricity were said to be becoming more scarce as demand had gone up.[24] Syrian's deputy foreign minister has stated that the price of food has increased by 30%, property prices by 40%, and rentals by 150%.[1][21] Water consumption rose by 21%, costing the Syrian government about 6.8 million US dollars in 2006.[21] The Iraqi population also strained the labor market: Syrian unemployment was 18% in 2006.[21] Refugees put a strain on health services (which are free in Syria), and Syria experienced public school overcrowding.[21] In 2005 and 2006, Syria used $162 million to offer aid to Iraqi refugees in the country.[21]