EDITOR’s NOTE: This article contains profanity.
(Headline USA) President Joe Biden and his press secretary faced blowback on Thursday after his administration launched airstrikes in Syria, targeting facilities near the Iraqi border used by Iranian-backed militia groups.
He and his administration were called out for their past criticisms of former President Donald Trump with regard to his actions in Syria.
The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a rocket attack in Iraq earlier this month that killed one civilian contractor and wounded a U.S. service member and other coalition troops.
Trump’s strikes in 2017 were in retaliation for President Bashar Assad’s chemical weapons attacks on his own people.
Last year Biden tweeted a promise to use military power as a “last resort.”
As President, I will use military power responsibly and as a last resort. We will not go back to forever wars in the Middle East. #DemDebate
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) February 8, 2020
In April 2017 Biden’s now-press secretary, Jen Psaki, questioned in a tweet Trump’s authority in striking a sovereign nation.
Also what is the legal authority for strikes? Assad is a brutal dictator. But Syria is a sovereign country.
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) April 7, 2017
The revival of Biden’s and Psaki’s tweets, and responses to them, were predictable.
— Miggy (RWBY8 HYPE) (@Xanadude_) February 26, 2021
That was quick. Jerkoff. https://t.co/IJxu1SM9Z2
— Theodore Donald “Donny” Kerabatsos ? (@cpmmk4) February 26, 2021
This tweet didn’t age well, and it’s still February
— No War But Class War (@NoFucksNic) February 26, 2021
Oh that’s what he meant when he said “America is back”
America is back to bombing other countries.— ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ (@Wit_n_sarcasm) February 26, 2021
And many mocked Psaki’s frequent press conference promises to “circle back” to reporters who ask questions she is not prepared to answer.
I UMMMM can’t UMMMM wait UMMMMM for UMMM you UMMMM to UMMMM circle UMMMM back UMMM with UMMM us UMMM on UMMMM this UMMM tweet.
— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) February 26, 2021
Circle back on this Jen? ? Oh and on your way back check in on the relief package for restauranteurs and the $2K the administration campaigned on ?
— Darlene Elizabeth Gagnon (@dar_gagnon) February 26, 2021
This is a fantastic question that I hope you get asked repeatedly from now until your next job.
— LASER – Light Amplifying Semite Emitting Radiation (@RoseAJacob) February 26, 2021
I condemn meddling in Syria’s civil war. I also condemn attacking a sovereign nation without authority.
What authority does @POTUS have to strike Syria?
Perhaps someone should ask his @PressSec today? https://t.co/nLxbZNLx4J
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) February 26, 2021
The airstrike was the first military action undertaken by the Biden administration.
Mary Ellen O’Connell, a professor at Notre Dame Law School, criticized the U.S. attack as a violation of international law.
“The United Nations Charter makes absolutely clear that the use of military force on the territory of a foreign sovereign state is lawful only in response to an armed attack on the defending state for which the target state is responsible,” she said. “None of those elements is met in the Syria strike.”
Material from Associated Press was used in this report.
