Rising calls for Gaza ceasefire in US after attack on base in Jordan

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen
29 Jan 2024 08:18

The recent attack on US forces in the Jordanian-Syrian border area has sparked increased concerns and discussions in the US about the need for de-escalation.

Cynthia Nixon, joined by state legislators and activists, demanded a permanent ceasefire outside the White House in Washington DC on November 27, 2023. (AFP/Getty Images)

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported an increasing demand within the United States for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. This follows the drone attack on a US base on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of three US soldiers and injuring numerous others, escalating tensions in the region.

Our correspondent affirmed that voices within the US Democratic Party have expressed their refusal to escalate the ongoing struggle and have instead called for addressing the fundamental issue, which is the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

Trita Parsi, the co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said in a post on X that concerns are rising about the potential for a broader escalation, coupled with the consequences of the lack of a Gaza ceasefire following the attack of US base in Iraq.

Over the past three months, warnings about the increasing risk of the US becoming entangled in another Middle East war without a Gaza ceasefire have been expressed, he added.

These warnings, urging President Biden to consider the impact of "Israel's" onslaught in Gaza on US national interests, seem to have gone unheeded, as per Parsi.

"The President of the United States’ foremost responsibility is to protect the American people and US servicemen and women. By refusing to push for a ceasefire, Biden has predictably put US troops in harm's way, and now five Americans have needlessly been killed (two Navy seals were killed in the Red Sea earlier this month). They didn’t die defending US interests, they died defending Biden’s refusal to press Israel for a ceasefire. Their lives were put at risk by Biden to defend Israel’s ability to continue its carnage in Gaza," he tersely stated.

Some thoughts on the attacks on US troops by Iraqi militias earlier today and the risk of a broader escalation:

For more than three months, many of us have warned that in the absence of a ceasefire in Gaza, the risk of the US getting bogged down in yet another war in the Middle…
— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) January 28, 2024

Parsi emphasized that Biden should begin withdrawing troops from Iraq and Syria and exert pressure on "Israel" to implement a ceasefire, as the ongoing aggression in Gaza is exacerbating four fronts that pose risks to the United States.

"For every day that Biden continues to block a ceasefire in Gaza, he needlessly puts US troops at risk. For the sake of protecting our troops and protecting the American people from another war in the Middle East, he must de-escalate the situation in the Middle East– not add more fuel to the fire. De-escalation begins with a ceasefire in Gaza," he concluded by saying.

Dive deeper

This comes shortly after US President Joe Biden addressed the attack on US forces in the Jordanian-Syrian border area, carried out via drones, which resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers and wounded dozens.

“We had a tough day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack on one of our bases,” President Joe Biden said in South Carolina.

On his account, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his profound outrage and deep sadness over the deaths. He vowed that the strike "would not go unanswered."

On Sunday morning, informed sources told Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Syria that "the drone attack targeted the al-Tanf Base on the Syrian-Jordanian-Iraqi border triangle, resulting in casualties among US forces inside the illegitimate base."

The sources mentioned that "the drones managed to bypass an advanced air defense system and penetrated the al-Tanf Base." They also noted that this attack came one day after the attacks on the Conoco base north of Deir Ezzor, which resulted in the injury of three soldiers.

Later, citing a US official, Reuters reported that the number of US soldiers injured in the drone attack in north East Jordan has risen to 34.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday evening that three US soldiers were killed, while at least 25 others were injured in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border.

"On Jan. 28, three U.S. service members were killed and 25 injured from a one-way attack UAS that impacted at a base in northeast Jordan, near the Syria border," CENTCOM said before adding that the identity of those killed while deployed will not be revealed for 24 hours.