Republican legislators grilled top Pentagon officials on Tuesday over what they perceive as a lack of response to Iranian attacks against US forces in the region.
Last Thursday, an Iranian drone attack on a US coalition base in north-eastern Syria killed an American contract worker and injured six others.
The US responded with precision air strikes on Iran-linked groups in the region that left 19 people dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in the UK.
But some Republican senators say the military has not responded strongly enough.
“Despite the more than 80 attacks by Iranian-backed militias, the United States has only responded with force just a handful of times. In my view, that's unacceptable,” said Senator Ted Budd.
Iran has launched 83 attacks against the US since Joe Biden became President in January 2021, according to testimony from Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin.
The Pentagon chief clarified that many of those attacks yielded no significant damage or deaths.
“An attack can consist of a number of things,” he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “It can consist of a rocket that's fired in the direction of one of our bases but is not effective.”
Mr Austin defended the military’s responses.
“When we respond, we want to make sure that we are going after the element that is responsible for whatever that activity is,” he said.
“So it takes a little time to develop attribution and then we want to make sure that we are holding the right element accountable, and we're doing everything that we can to protect our troops.”
But Mr Austin's comments did not satisfy Republicans.
“Seventy-nine and four is Iran’s record right now,” said Senator Tom Cotton.
“What kind of signal do we think this sends to Iran when they can attack us 83 times since Joe Biden has become president and we only respond four?"
Mr Budd said that "weakness only breeds more aggression" and that if the US only retaliated when an American is killed, Iran would "continue attacking, hoping to injure as many as possible".
The Biden administration has taken a more cautious approach to Iran than its predecessor.
Mr Biden said the US did not "seek conflict with Iran" but warned that he was prepared "to act forcefully to protect our people".
Under the administration of his predecessor, Donald Trump, the US military killed Iran's top military leader, Qassem Suleimani, in an early morning drone strike at Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.
The US has about 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq supporting the international coalition against the remnants of ISIS.
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
