US 'legal justification' of Syria strikes violates Syrian sovereignty

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
28 Oct 2023 15:53
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US President Joe Biden writes a letter to Congress to legally justify his presidential decision to target sites in Syria and completely obscures the fact that US Forces on Syrian territory are considered occupation Forces.

President Joe Biden is greeted by Lt. Col. Andrew Sides, 166th Operations Group Commander as he arrives at Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Delaware, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. (AP)

US President Joe Biden offers what the White House dubbed as "legal justification" for US airstrikes against a sovereign state, Syria, earlier this week.

According to the White House, the airstrikes which targeted Syrian territory earlier this week were a rightful response to the attacks against US forces in occupation bases in the region.

The White House said the US' attacks were lawful for two reasons. Firstly, because they were in line with presidential war powers, and secondly, the US claimed it had a right to defend its bases.

Biden, in his letter, stated, “At my direction, on the night of October 26, 2023, United States forces conducted targeted strikes against facilities in eastern Syria,” claiming to target sites used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and “affiliated groups”; a claim later denied by the IRGC.

It is worth noting that Resistance groups, dubbed "affiliated groups" by the US, are legally present in Syria based on a mutual agreements and understanding between the groups and the Syrian government. Similarly, any Iranian personnel or group present in Syria also abides by agreements established with the Syrian government.

The strikes, Biden said, "were intended to establish deterrence and were conducted in a manner to limit the risk of escalation and avoid civilian casualties," describing them as "necessary and proportionate."

US occupation bases in Iraq, Syria come under drone, rocket attacks

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin claimed on Thursday that the US military struck two facilities in eastern Syria allegedly used by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.

"The precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17," Austin said in a statement.

It is worth noting that rockets were launched toward the US base in the al-Omar oil field northeast of Deir Ezzor, eastern Syria, shortly after the airstrike, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported.

Sources to Al Mayadeen said that six rockets were launched from the Syrian Dessert, specifically from the area between al-Mayadin and al-Bukamal. Furthermore, sources confirmed that the area targeted by the US airstrikes does not contain any weapons storage facilities.