Day: October 20, 2023

By Jim Garamone

US Department of Defense assets in the Red Sea, Iraq and Syria responded to missile and drone attacks over the past two days, as U.S. service members look to deter groups from using the Israel-Hamas war as an opportunity to launch conflict that could engulf the region, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday.

Ryder also spelled out the steps Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has taken to strengthen DOD posture in the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts.

Ryder said the crew of the guided missile destroyer USS Carney operating in the northern Red Sea earlier today shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones launched by Houthi forces in Yemen. “This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defense architecture that we built in the Middle East and that we are prepared to utilize whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests,” he said. 

There were no casualties.  

“We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched heading north along the Red Sea potentially towards targets in Israel,” the general said.  

Ryder also detailed drone attacks on U.S. facilities in Syria and Iraq. The al-Tanf garrison in Syria was targeted by two drones on Oct. 18. “U.S. and coalition forces engaged one drone destroying it while the other drone impacted the base resulting in minor injuries to coalition forces,” Ryder said. All of the injured returned to duty. 

At the same time, early warning systems indicated a possible threat approaching the airbase at al-Assad. Base personnel sheltered in place as a protective measure. “Though no attack occurred, sadly, a U.S. civilian contractor suffered a cardiac episode while sheltering and passed away shortly thereafter,” Ryder said.f

Separately in northern Iraq, U.S. forces engaged and destroyed a drone resulting in no injuries or damage. 

Ryder said he will not detail what the American response to these provocations will be. “I will say that we will take all necessary actions to defend U.S. and coalition forces against any threat,” he said. “Any response, should one occur, will come at a time in a manner of our choosing.” 

Ryder said U.S. forces deployed to the region are meant to deter any government or group from launching attacks under cover of the Israeli-Hamas war. The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is crossing the Atlantic to join the Ford. The Air Force has also bumped up fighter presence to the region. 

“By posturing these U.S. naval assets and advanced fighter aircraft in the region, we aim to send a strong message intended to deter a wider conflict, to bolster regional stability, and, of course, to make it clear that we will protect and defend our national security interests,” Ryder said.

Secretary Austin is continuing engagements with counterparts in the region and beyond. Just today, the secretary spoke with officials in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel. “During these calls, he reiterated U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks, and also underscored the importance of safeguarding innocent civilians — both Palestinian and Israeli,” Ryder said.  

Finally, Ryder said that systems the Israelis requested continue to flow into the country. These include precision-guided munitions, such as joint direct attack munitions, small-diameter bombs, 155-millimeter artillery ammunition and other categories of critical equipment. In addition, the United States is providing Iron Dome interceptors from stocks the United States has in Israel. In the days ahead, “we’ll be flying additional Iron Dome interceptors so that Israel has the capabilities they need to sustain their defense systems and protect their citizens and from rocket attacks,” Ryder said.

October 10, Iranian regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei denied any involvement in the recent conflict in the Middle East.

It was clear to all observers that Khamenei was greatly concerned about his regime becoming involved in the war, especially as the fires of uprisings in 2022 continue to blaze across Iran. At the same time, the threat posed by this inhumane regime to global peace is becoming increasingly evident every day. In fact, since its founding, the mullahs’ regime has thrived on instigating conflicts in the region.

Many analysts liken Khamenei’s warmongering to an octopus, with its head in Tehran and its arms and tentacles extending to various countries in the Middle East and even beyond.
The reality is that warmongering has deep roots in the medieval nature of this regime. This regime hijacked the Iranian people’s revolution in 1979 and has no compatibility with the progress in Iranian society and the democratic aspirations of its people.

After usurping the leadership of the anti-monarchy revolution in 1979, regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini faced a potentially destructive threat. That threat was the eruption of the energy of millions of youth. The question for Khomeini was what should he do with this immense power? It was a power that could have propelled Iran forward in all social, economic, artistic, and cultural fields, making up for a hundred years of backwardness.

Khomeini not only refused to pursue progress and development but became the enemy of any kind of progress. He knew well that in the field of progress and development, young revolutionary and progressive forces like the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) would remove the reins of power from his hands. Therefore, the only solution was to use this immense progressive force to realize his own vision for territorial expansion. Naturally, for various political, historical, and geopolitical reasons, the first destination on this path was to wage war on Iraq.

It was with these provocations that Khomeini laid the groundwork for the war with Iraq. When the war started, he praised it as a “divine gift” and a “divine blessing,” while describing peace as burying Islam. He claimed that as long as the last house in Tehran stood, the war would continue, even if it took 20 years.

It is uncertain how long Khomeini would have continued this horrific war if the National Liberation Army (NLA) had not shattered his war machine and forced him to cede to a ceasefire with Iraq.

Regarding Khomeini’s reception of the war and his deliberate instigation of it, the statements of one of the key figures of the regime, Mohammad Javad Mozafar, who was the Director General of Foreign Media during the war, are quite revealing. In a television interview on September 29, he said, “On April 4th, 1980, suddenly the Khomeini comes and gives a message, ‘O Iraqi tribes, rise up and overthrow this man! O Iraqi army, come and stage a coup, overthrow Saddam!’ When? April 4th, 1980, five months before the start of the war.”

He added, “The ruling establishment embraced the war based on a false analysis, and this was a mistake. It was as if we were also pushing him towards war with our slogans, provocations, and actions. Khomeini and his surrounding truly believed that if the Iraqi people willed it, they would overthrow Saddam! What nonsense!”

Contrary to what this regime figure dismissively calls a “false analysis,” Khomeini’s approach, as mentioned, stemmed from a power-driven calculation that exacted a heavy toll paid by the Iranian people.

In addition to squandering the immense force unleashed during the anti-monarchy revolution, Khomeini used the war to ensure the “security” and survival of his regime. The war served as a smokescreen, suffocating dissent. With the deafening cry of “war, war!” Khomeini could lock down the society and mercilessly slaughter revolutionary forces, particularly the PMOI.

Khomeini’s warmongering and his desire to expand his authority didn’t stop at Iraq. As his successors, including Khamenei, explicitly stated later: “(The war) expanded our borders…” This indicates that Khomeini’s ambitions reached beyond Iraq and had broader regional implications.

In an interview with the official IRNA on September 14, Issa Tabatabai, known as the representative of Khamenei in Lebanon, revealed that Khomeini personally gave him the order to bomb the headquarters of the American Marines in Beirut in October 1983.

Warmongering and terrorism continued after Khomeini through his successors. From the explosion of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia to the AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and more, Khamenei theorized it as the “strategic depth.” He explicitly stated that if they don’t fight in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon today, they will have to fight with the enemy, by which he means the people and rebellious youth, in the streets of Iranian cities.

This article was published by PMOI/MEK