President Biden said in a letter to congressional leadership on Saturday that this week’s air strike on facilities in Syria related to military groups backed by Iran is in line with US law on self-defense.
Why it matters: Some Democrats, including sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) And Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) And Representative Ro Khanna (D-California), criticized the Biden government for the strike and demanded an information session.
- “Offensive military action without congressional approval is not constitutionally absent from extraordinary circumstances,” Kaine said Friday.
- A spokesman for the National Security Council said the Pentagon had informed Congress in advance and that the government was continuing to inform Hill on members and staff members.
What he says: ‘The non-state militia groups have been involved in recent attacks on the United States and coalition personnel in Iraq, ‘Biden wrote in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate President pro tempore Patrick Leahy.
- Biden said the attacks include the Feb. 15 attack in Erbil, Iraq, which wounded one member of the United States service, killing four U.S. contractors, including one critical, and one Filipino contractor. “
- “These groups are also engaged in ongoing planning for future attacks,” the president added.
- “In response, I have directed this military action to protect and defend our personnel and our partners from these attacks and future attacks.”
- ‘The United States is always ready to take essential and proportionate action in self-defense, including when, as is the case here, the government of the state where the threat is located is not using its territory by state militia groups responsible is for such attacks. ‘
- ‘I have conducted this military action in accordance with my responsibility to protect the citizens of the United States, at home and abroad, and to promote the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, under my constitutional authority over foreign relations with the United States and as Commander-in-Chief and Chief Executive Officer. ‘
- “The United States has taken this action on the basis of the inherent right of the United States to defend itself, as reflected in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations.”
- Biden concluded by saying that he was “delivering this report as part of my efforts to keep Congress fully informed, in line with the War on Resolution.”
The whole picture: Iran on Saturday condemned the US strike in Syria and, according to Reuters, denied responsibility for the attacks on US targets in Iraq.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the strike “illegal and a violation of Syria’s sovereignty,” state media reported.
- An Iraqi military official said on Friday that the strike had killed at least one fighter and wounded several others, the Associated Press reported.
Go deeper: Biden says US air strike in Syria has warned Iran to “be careful”