Militia Attacks on Americans in Iraq are Becoming More Audacious. The U.S. is Wrestling with How to Respond.
Militia Attacks on Americans in Iraq are Becoming More Audacious. The U.S. is Wrestling with How to Respond. By Louisa Loveluck and Missy Ryan – Washington Post
Iran-backed militias are becoming more audacious in attacking U.S. personnel in Iraq, with rocket strikes against military bases occurring more frequently and, for the first time, in broad daylight.
U.S. officials say they are receiving near-daily reports of “imminent” attacks planned against U.S.-linked military or diplomatic facilities.
But the question of how to deter further militia strikes without putting troops at greater risk highlights how much American security and influence have evaporated in Iraq. In the two weeks since the U.S. carried out bombing raids outside Baghdad to avenge a rocket attack north of the capital that killed a Briton and two Americans, the Trump administration has been wrestling with what additional steps to take to confront the militias without sparking costly retaliation…