Beijing, 4 Feb (Xinhua) -- Earl Rasmussen, a retired US general, said on 3 February that the US military's air strikes on targets in Syria and Iraq on 2 February will not contribute to stability in the Middle East, but will only lead to the intensification of conflicts.
In order to "retaliate" for the attack on the US military base in Jordan a few days ago, the US military launched airstrikes on 85 targets in Syria and Iraq on the 2nd, resulting in the death of nearly 40 people. In an interview with the Russian Satellite News Agency, Rasmussen said that the US military's response is not conducive to stability in the Middle East and means that the situation in the region is "dangerously escalating."
This is a photograph taken on February 3 in Anbar Province, Iraq, of a house damaged by a US military attack. "The U.S. military's actions will not bring stability to the region and could exacerbate tensions between (the U.S. military) and militias in Syria and Iraq, as well as with Iran, Iraq and Syria," Rasmussen said. ”
Three U.S. soldiers were killed and more than 40 wounded in an attack on a U.S. military base in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border on January 28. This is the first time since the outbreak of the current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that the US military has reported that a soldier has been killed in an attack in the Middle East. Since then, the US side has repeatedly stated that it will take all necessary measures to defend its interests.
Many Republicans in the United States blamed the attack on the US military base in Jordan on the weakness of the federal leadership led by Democratic Party Joseph Biden, and demanded a strong response with measures such as direct strikes on targets in Iran. Rasmussen believes that if the United States directly strikes Iran, it will be "extremely unwise" and will intensify regional conflicts.
This is a photograph taken on February 3 in Anbar Province, Iraq, of a house damaged by a US military attack. Xinhua News Agency reported that the US side determined that the attack on the US military base in Jordan was linked to the armed group of the "Iraqi Islamic Resistance Movement" supported by Iran, and that Iranian-made drones were used in the attack. The Iranian side denies this claim.
In Rasmussen's view, the US designation lacks evidence to support it. "We have no evidence at all that Iran was involved in [the attack], only that [Iran] provided support to the militias. In addition, we ourselves support many '** people'. ”
In addition, Rasmussen argued that U.S. airstrikes in Syria and Iraq violated the sovereignty of both countries, and that U.S. forces "continue to illegally occupy" some areas of the two countries.
After the U.S. airstrike on the 2nd, Syria and Iraq condemned the U.S. airstrike for violating the sovereignty of Syria and Iran. Iraq summoned the U.S. Chargé d'affaires a.i. in Iraq on the 3rd and proposed a formal **. Iraq*** said in a statement that Iraq is not a gladiatorial arena for major powers, nor is it a place for relevant parties to transmit information or show strength. The Iraqi Parliament's Security and Defense Committee called on Iraq on the 3rd to speed up the withdrawal of US troops in Iraq.
Syria condemns the US military's violation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolutely opposes US attacks on the grounds of various "pretexts and lies". (Bao Xuelin).