Rep. Scott asserts, “They’re only going to stop when their actions lead to punishment,” about Iran-backed militants.
A senior Republican on the House Committees for Intelligence and Armed Services contends that the foreign policy decisions of the Biden administration resulted in the deaths of three U.S. troops in Jordan last month, and warns that thousands more could be “at risk.”
Rep. Austin Scott, a Republican from Georgia, indicated to US Newzs Digital that he believes President Biden’s military response to Houthi rebels in the Red Sea is the right course of action but suggests it came too late.
Asked whether he sees a direct cause-and-effect between the delayed response and the recent U.S. service member deaths, Austin said firmly, “I do.”
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“I don’t understand why anyone would think that they would ever stop firing at you if there were no consequences for firing at you the first time,” Scott said. “They’re not simply going to stop because they had decided, ‘We’re going to be good people now.’ They’re only going to stop when their actions lead to punishment – that if they do this again, we’re going to punish them again.”
The Pentagon attributed a drone attack on U.S. troops stationed in Jordan near its border with Syria to Iran-backed militants. The incident resulted in the death of three American soldiers and left at least 34 others wounded.
U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Syria have faced approximately 150 attacks since October 7. This surge in attacks followed the invasion by Hamas militants in Israel, resulting in over 1,200 casualties. Additionally, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have carried out numerous attacks in the Red Sea on both commercial and military ships, citing their actions as a response to Israel and its perceived support from the U.S.
Following a series of incidents, President Biden responded with multiple rounds of airstrikes starting on January 11, in collaboration with the U.K. and other allies, targeting Houthi positions in Yemen. More recently, on Friday, the U.S. conducted strikes on specific targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the deaths of soldiers.
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Scott praised those who conducted the strikes on Friday, stating, “I applaud the bravery and skill of U.S. Central Command, who carried out multiple airstrikes against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups today. Those who strike against the U.S. will face consequences.”
But he argued to US Newzs Digital that Biden’s failure to respond to the initial attacks earlier sent a message of weakness to U.S. adversaries.
“I’m very pessimistic about his inaction putting America, and Americans, at risk. And let’s remember, you know, we have people in Africa, we have people deployed all over the world. Part of their safety there is because it is understood that if you attack a United States soldier, there are consequences for that,” Scott said.
“Every president of the United States of America – Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George Bush – if you attack a United States soldier or a United States military asset, there are consequences for that,” Scott said.
“This is the first time that I remember where someone’s been able to shoot us 100 plus times and us not respond. And so I think that that action puts people at risk. You can’t, you just can’t do that. You’re putting every American that’s deployed at risk when you allow people to take shots at your people without responding,” Scott emphasized.
On Friday, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden participated in the dignified transfer of the remains of the three service members killed – Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, Spc. Kennedy Landon Sanders, 24, and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23 – all of whom were from Georgia.
US Newzs Digital has reached out to the White House for a response to Scott’s criticism.