{"id":2103063,"date":"2023-11-19T06:33:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-19T11:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/esper-says-us-retaliation-strikes-against-iranian-proxies-in-syria-not-forceful-enough\/"},"modified":"2023-11-19T06:34:31","modified_gmt":"2023-11-19T11:34:31","slug":"esper-says-us-retaliation-strikes-against-iranian-proxies-in-syria-not-forceful-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/esper-says-us-retaliation-strikes-against-iranian-proxies-in-syria-not-forceful-enough\/","title":{"rendered":"Esper says US retaliation strikes against Iranian proxies in Syria not &#8216;forceful enough&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fesper-says-us-retaliation-strikes-against-iranian-proxies-in-syria-not-forceful-enough%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2103063&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The\u2062 Military&#8217;s Response to Iranian Proxies&#8217; Attacks on U.S.\u200b Forces\u2062 in Syria\u200b and Iraq Deemed Inadequate<\/h2>\n<p>Former \u2063Defense Secretary Mark Esper has\u2062 criticized the military&#8217;s handling of attacks carried out by Iranian proxies against U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq. Despite being in the \u2063region \u2062to ensure the lasting defeat \u2062of the Islamic State, \u200bU.S. troops\u200c have faced over 60 attacks in\u200b the past month, \u200bresulting in \u2063injuries to approximately 60\u2063 soldiers. However, the \u2064military&#8217;s\u200c airstrikes against the proxies&#8217;\u200d facilities have failed to deter further attacks.<\/p>\n<h3>Urgent Need for\u200c Stronger Action<\/h3>\n<p>Esper believes that the response \u2063from the United States has not been forceful or frequent enough to achieve deterrence. He argues that a more forceful approach is necessary to\u200d compel the militias and proxies to back down. While the Pentagon defends its current responses, Esper urges the U.S. \u200bto carry \u2062out more strikes \u200cand target a broader range of facilities beyond ammunition\u2062 and weapons storage.<\/p>\n<h3>Pentagon&#8217;s \u2064Defense and \u200dContinued Response<\/h3>\n<p>The Pentagon, however, maintains that its attacks have\u200c significantly degraded the militias&#8217; access to weapons. Pentagon deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh emphasizes that the \u2062U.S. is not waiting for \u200bfurther damage before responding and\u200c will act at a time and\u200d place of its choosing if more attacks occur.<\/p>\n<h3>Designation of Responsible Militia Groups<\/h3>\n<p>The\u200d U.S. State Department has designated Kata\u2019ib \u200bSayyid al-Shuhada (KSS) and its Secretary General Hashim Finyan Rahim\u200b al-Saraji as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. \u200dAdditionally, the Treasury Department is designating six individuals \u2064affiliated with Kata\u2019ib Hizballah (KH), an Iran-aligned militia group based \u2064in Iraq.<\/p>\n<h3>Targeting\u200c Iran and Other Terrorist Organizations<\/h3>\n<p>Esper suggests that the military should also target Iran due to its support for proxy groups and other terrorist\u200d organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah. He emphasizes the need for\u200c a more forceful response, both in terms of frequency and impact.<\/p>\n<h3>Context of the Conflict<\/h3>\n<p>The attacks between Iranian proxies and U.S. troops coincide with\u200c the U.S. bolstering its\u200b military presence in the Middle East\u200b to support Israel. Tehran has criticized Israel&#8217;s war against Hamas\u200d and the U.S.&#8217;s backing \u2062of it but\u200b has\u200b refrained from direct involvement. Esper warns that Hezbollah\u200c may escalate the conflict\u2062 by launching rockets and missiles from southern Lebanon into Israel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/militarys-response-to-iranian-proxies-attacks-on-us-forces-in-syria-and-iraq-inadequate-mark-esper\">The \u2063Washington Examiner<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200dHow can targeting the leadership of Iranian proxy\u200c groups \u2063contribute to halting their attacks effectively?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  This inadequate\u2063 response sends a message \u200dof weakness\u200b and emboldens \u2064the Iranian proxies to continue their attacks. The attacks not only pose a direct threat\u2063 to the \u200dsafety and well-being of U.S. troops, but they also undermine the \u200dstability and security of the region.<\/p>\n<p>One <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/esper-says-us-retaliation-strikes-against-iranian-proxies-in-syria-not-forceful-enough\/\" title=\"Esper says US retaliation strikes against Iranian proxies in Syria not 'forceful enough'\">major\u200d concern highlighted<\/a> by Esper is the failure\u200d to target the leadership of these \u200dIranian proxy groups. Without striking at the heart of these organizations,\u200d the military&#8217;s efforts \u200dto halt their attacks are bound to fall short. It is\u2062 crucial to dismantle their command \u2062structure and\u2063 disrupt their ability to plan and execute\u2063 attacks \u2063effectively.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Esper emphasizes the\u2062 need\u200b for a\u2063 comprehensive strategy to address\u200c the Iranian proxy threat. The current piecemeal approach of responding to attacks as they occur\u2062 is not enough. The United States must develop a proactive plan that combines diplomatic, economic,\u200d and military\u2062 measures \u200cto weaken and ultimately\u200d neutralize these proxies.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to a stronger military response, Esper advocates for\u2063 increased intelligence \u200bsharing and coordination with regional allies. The United States should work \u200bclosely with \u2064countries in the region, such as Iraq and Syria, to gather intelligence on the activities of Iranian proxies and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kidnapped-american-rescued-in-mexican-border-city\/\" title=\"Kidnapped American Rescued in Mexican Border City\">coordinate joint operations<\/a> to\u200b counter their threats. By doing so, the United States can leverage the expertise and resources of these \u2063local partners\u200d to effectively\u200c respond to and preempt future \u200dattacks.<\/p>\n<p>Esper&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dnc-targets-nikki-haley-over-social-security-and-medicare-reform-talk\/\" title=\"DNC targets Nikki Haley over Social Security and Medicare reform talk\">criticism echoes concerns raised<\/a> by other military and security experts, who argue that the current approach is not\u2064 achieving the desired \u2062outcome. It is\u200b apparent that a more assertive and proactive\u2062 response is needed \u2063to deter Iranian proxies from targeting U.S. forces and destabilizing the region.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the Iranian proxy threat extends \u200cbeyond its attacks \u2063on \u200dU.S. forces. These \u200dproxies also pose a significant challenge to\u200b the stability of local governments in \u200dSyria and Iraq. Their continued presence and influence undermine the efforts of these countries to\u2064 establish\u2063 security and\u2063 rebuild \u200bafter years of\u200b conflict.<\/p>\n<p>It is \u2064imperative for the United States, together with its allies, to address this threat comprehensively and decisively. Failure to \u2062do so not only risks the lives of U.S. troops but\u2062 also compromises the progress made in the fight against the \u2063Islamic State and overall \u200dregional stability.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the military&#8217;s response to Iranian proxies&#8217; attacks on U.S.\u200d forces in Syria and Iraq has been deemed inadequate \u200cby former Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Urgent action is needed to strengthen the response and deter further attacks. This entails targeting the leadership of these proxy groups, developing a comprehensive strategy, increasing intelligence\u200b sharing and coordination with \u2063regional allies, \u2064and adopting a\u200d more proactive approach. Failure to \u200baddress this threat comprehensively jeopardizes the safety of U.S. forces and undermines regional\u2062 stability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The military&#8217;s responses to attacks carried out by Iranian proxies against U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq have been inadequate, according to former Defense Secretary Mark Esper. U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria are in the region to ensure the lasting defeat of the Islamic State, but they have come under attack by Iranian proxies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2103064,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2103063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2103063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2103063"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2103063\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2103064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2103063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2103063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2103063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}