US kills commander blamed for drone strike that killed American troops

President Joe Biden last week promised he would avenge the killing of three American soldiers at a time of his choosing.

That came at 9:30pm local time when a U.S. missile destroyed a car in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing at least one commander of the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia, blamed for the attack that on an American base in Jordan last month. Witnesses reported hearing several loud blasts reverberate across the city. Two officials with Iranian-backed militias in Iraq said that one of those killed was Wissam Mohammed ‘Abu Bakr’ al-Saadi, the commander in charge of Kataib Hezbollah’s operations in Syria.

‘Swarm of suicide drones’ attacks US army base in Syria in retaliation for Baghdad airstrike

The attack has been linked to the retaliatory US airstrikes against Iranian-aligned groups and their positions.

Explosions have been reported near a US army base in Syria, by the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese media network Al Mayadeen, on Wednesday. The American base in the Al-Omar oil field in the Kurdish-controlled region of northeastern Syria, close to the city of Deir ez-Zor, American troops have been present here since at least 2017.

The base was attacked by a “swarm of suicide drones” according to Egypt-based Bayan-gate news and is the second attack of its kind this week against US bases in the region.

US admits not informing Iraq about airstrikes

A White House spokesman has said he “deeply regrets” providing false information to reporters

The US government has acknowledged that it did not notify officials in Baghdad about airstrikes on Iraqi soil last Friday, despite initially claiming they had been warned ahead of time. A top US spokesperson insisted there was no “intent to deceive,” chalking up the mishap to a simple error. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby corrected a prior statement about the “pre-notification to Iraqi officials” before last week’s air raid, which targeted more than 85 sites across both Iraq and neighboring Syria.

Only 3 In 10 Americans Were Aware US Had Troops In Syria Prior To Deadly Attack

A recent poll of Americans found that only 30% were aware that US troops were deployed to Syria before three US soldiers were killed just across the border in Jordan. The results of the survey show Americans are generally unaware of the attacks against US forces in Syria and the reason for the deployment.

Defense Priorities commissioned YouGov to poll Americans from January 8-15 about the deployment of 900 US troops in Syria. Three in ten Americans responded that they were aware US troops were deployed to Syria. The three US soldiers killed at Tower 22 in Jordan were supporting the US base in southern Syria.

Red Sea Crisis Sends Maersk Shares Crashing As Outlook Darkens, Buybacks Suspended

Shares of A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S in Copenhagen plunged on Thursday. This decline occurred after the world’s second-largest shipping company announced fourth-quarter earnings and guidance that fell short of analysts’ forecasts, alongside the cancellation of its stock repurchase program. Vincent Clerc, chief executive of Maersk, wrote in a statement, “While the Red Sea crisis has caused immediate capacity constraints and a temporary increase in rates, eventually, the oversupply in shipping capacity will lead to price pressure and impact our results.”