Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 30 (Xinhua) -- The preliminary investigation results disclosed by two US military *** who requested anonymity on the 29th show that the "No. 22 Tower" of the US military base in Jordan was attacked by a drone a day ago but was not intercepted in time, which may have mistaken the enemy plane for a US drone returning to the base.
On the same day, the White House said it would respond to "Iran, which was responsible for the attack," in an "appropriate manner," but "does not seek war with Iran." A number of foreign media are worried that the possible retaliatory measures of the US side may lead to a further escalation of the current round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
This is the Pentagon photographed on August 26, 2021 in Arlington, Virginia, USA. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Jie The U.S. military "I don't distinguish between friend and foe"?
The Associated Press reported that while the enemy drone arrived at a low altitude on the 28th, a US military drone was also on its way back to the base. As a result, the personnel of the base did not use the "Coyote" UAV interception system.
The Washington Post reported that the specific reason for the US military's "indistinguishable friend or foe" remained unclear on the 29th. The U.S. military drones that returned to the base were equipped with automatic identification devices for friend and foe, and the air defense system at the base remained operational at that time, and generally did not confuse friend or foe. However, the air defense system was not activated in time, probably because the attacker deliberately brought the enemy plane close to the US plane, making it difficult to detect it.
According to the report, this means that the operation mode of the US military aircraft may be found out and used by the outside, and this requires "a lot of signal intelligence."
Tower 22, the base that was attacked, was located in northeastern Jordan, near the country's borders with Syria and Iraq, and was home to about 350 U.S. troops. The attack on the 28th killed three American soldiers. Jordanian military personnel were also responsible for the security of the base, but were not attacked.
Sabrina Singh, deputy spokeswoman for the Pentagon, told reporters on the 29th that the three dead U.S. soldiers were all in the Georgia Army Reserve. More than 40 people were injured, mostly from abrasions. Of the eight wounded evacuated from Jordan, three were taken to Germany for medical treatment, while five others suffered "minor traumatic brain injuries" and are expected to return to work.
Singh said that the attack was launched in the early morning of the 28th, and the main location of the attack was the trailer area where the US troops were resting, and many people were still asleep at that time. A U.S. side**, who requested anonymity, said 47 people were injured.
When asked by reporters whether the failure to shoot down the enemy plane was a "human error," Singh only said that the U.S. command was still evaluating the matter.
Reuters reported that Singh also said that the attack had "traces" of the Iraqi Islamic Resistance Movement's "Allah Brigade" on the same day, but the Pentagon has not yet made a final assessment. The US side believes that the Islamic Resistance Movement in Iraq is linked to Iran.
Two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that Iraq's Islamic Resistance Movement had "claimed" the attack. In addition, although the United States publicly stated on the 29th that it was still assessing the take-off of the enemy plane, informed sources determined that the enemy plane came from Iraq, but the specific location has not yet been located.
The White House is worried.
This is the first time that US troops in Jordan have been attacked since the outbreak of the current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and the first time that US soldiers have been killed in an attack in the Middle East.
A number of high-level statements by the United States on the 29th showed that the United States does not seek war with Iran, but is considering how to retaliate.
Both retaliation and fear that retaliation will trigger a further escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Associated Press said that the United States ** Joseph Biden faces a "difficult balance".
This is the White House in the snow photographed in Washington, the capital of the United States, on January 15. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Allen) John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator of the White House Committee, said on the same day that Biden held a meeting with the team in the White House Situation Room for two consecutive days on the 28th and 29th to "weigh the options in front of him." Kirby said that "we do not seek war with Iran," but that this "serious attack will have deadly consequences" and that the U.S. "will respond in an appropriate manner."
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was "off duty" for about a month due to concealing his illness and being hospitalized, and only returned to the Pentagon on the 29th after ending remote work. He said that day that Biden and he "will not tolerate attacks against U.S. troops and will take all necessary actions to defend the U.S. and military personnel." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said that the U.S. response "is likely to be multifaceted, phased and lasting for a certain period of time." Pentagon deputy spokesman Manmohan Singh also said that "Iran does not think that Iran wants to seek war with the United States."
The Iranian side has denied any involvement in the attack. Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations issued a statement on the 29th, saying: "There are clashes between the US military and resistance groups in the region, and the latter has also attacked in retaliation. Iran's spokesman Nasser Kanaani told the Islamic Republic of Iran news agency that the U.S. claims "have the political intent to change the status quo in the region."
According to Reuters analysis, Biden was previously reluctant to directly hit Iran, and now he is facing increased political pressure. His possible options include striking Iranian troops inside and outside the country, or making "more cautious retaliatory attacks" against those responsible for the attacks alone. Experts warn that any attack on Iranian forces inside and outside the country could force Iran to push back forcefully, which in turn could escalate the situation in the region and drag the United States into a major Middle East war.
As of the 29th, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt and Iraq have condemned the attack, and Iraq** has also called for an "end to the cycle of violence", saying that Iraq is ready to participate in diplomatic efforts to avoid further escalation.
AFP reported that a spokesman for the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said on the 28th that the attack was to send a message to the United States that the current round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict continues and there is a risk of detonating the regional situation. (Ocean).