On the campaign trail, Biden promised to “end forever wars.” Less than 100 days into his presidency, he has already ordered an airstrike in Syria, targeting an Iran-backed militia. Clearly, the wars that have ravaged Western Asia for decades because of Western superpower intervention are bipartisan; no recent US president, Democratic or Republican, has held office and not upheld the US’s long-standing tradition of imperialist policy.
The airstrike occurred on February 25, as a response to a series of rocket attacks from Iran on an Iraqi airport, which killed a Filipino contractor working with the American military, and injured six others. As tragic as these casualties were, this airstrike, which is estimated to have killed twenty-two “pro-Iranian fighters,” will not bring back the dead Filipino contractor and creates further tension with Iran, Syria, and even Russia. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov reports that they were given little to no warning about the upcoming airstrikes, which could have resulted in even more American soldiers’ lives being lost in a clash between the two countries. These kinds of miscommunications can result in rising tensions and even lead to full-out war.
Even if we choose to overlook the unnecessary violence and tension these airstrikes will cause, Biden simply did not have the right to order this without consulting Congress. The tripartite government exists for a reason: to maintain the balance of power and protect America’s incomplete democracy. Biden claimed he didn’t need Congress’s approval because of the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Al-Qaeda and other “terrorist” groups. However, Democrats in Congress rejected this outlandish interpretation of AUMF, considering that the bill was passed two decades ago under completely different circumstances. The US media and government have made a habit of calling every single resistance group in the East a “terrorist organization.” The events leading up to 9/11 and the “War on Terror” extend far beyond one incident or one retaliation.
Many Biden supporters may claim this airstrike is a one-time event just to intimidate Iran, but I wouldn’t be so sure. Biden’s foreign policy has always been one of aggression, no matter the costs, to fight so-called terrorism. Under Obama’s presidency, US drone strikes rapidly increased in the name of counterterrorism. Biden did advocate for closing Guantanamo Bay detention facilities, but that seems to be about the one good thing he’s done. As Vice President, Senator, and in his first month and a half as US President, his actions have never reflected his supposed morals. However, this attack runs far deeper than one incident; Biden’s airstrike is representative of the US’s historical disregard for the well-being of people in the Middle East.
Although the US has been a part of the Middle Eastern conflict since the early 20th century, it expanded its power and influence after WW2 and during the Cold War with the USSR. Originally, the US was in Saudi Arabia for oil but ended up getting involved in war after war and backing Syrian rebels. Although backing the Syrian rebels protesting against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad could have been a good thing, it caused the destabilization of the region. As the saying goes, “the cure was worse than the disease.”
Now, you may be thinking that the US is just trying to help—however, the US has never done things for the good of others. The US stays in the Middle East to assert its control over Russia (formally the Soviet Union), completely ignoring the millions of Syrians who have been displaced, injured, or died in these never-ending wars. These wars have brought money and power to the US and its elite, at the cost of thousands of lives. America’s CIA has also shown little to no respect for democratic elections, planning and leading a coup to remove democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq because of Iran’s plans to nationalize the oil industry and force foreign countries to leave.
Just like always, the US did not worry about who it would hurt by establishing a dictator, as long as the American ruling class made a profit. The nationalization of the previously privately-owned oil industry would have caused the US to lose their investment, so putting someone in power who America could control was their top priority. The US also invaded Iraq in 2003 because of supposed “weapons of mass destruction” that were never found or proven to have existed (“weapons of mass destruction” which the US also has; apparently it’s only a problem when other countries might). In January of last year, people started panicking that a third world war would begin after Donald Trump ordered drone strikes, killing Iran’s top general Qasem Soleimani. The US has ignored international law in its invasion of Iraq, and undermined democracy abroad. There’s a clear pattern here; where the US goes, destruction follows in its wake.
Now, this may seem like a long tangent, but this is all relevant to Biden’s actions just last month. The airstrikes in Syria just last month go against the things he pledged to do during his time in office. He promised steps toward peace but has been doing what American presidents usually do—being the aggressor. It’s time for the US to leave the Middle East once and for all, and it is Biden’s responsibility to facilitate that withdrawal. He must be held accountable for these actions which he did not run by our Congressional representatives and in which the American people had no say. The airstrike was the wrong decision to make, and building tension will lead to even more war in countries that have already been torn apart so the US and Russia can profit.