Newly inaugurated President Biden ordered airstrikes on Syrian buildings that were said to be used by Iranian backed militias to attack U.S. targets in neighbooring Iraq. A Syrian organization confirmed that at least twenty-two people have died in the attacks and it is suspected that there are more to come. As this is President Biden’s first use of U.S. military power, it has been perceived as a message to the Iranians that attacks on U.S. interests in Iraq will not be tolerated. This comes as retaliation for the three rocket attacks, one hitting a U.S. coalition base, present in the last week. I found this event to be extremely surprising because I was under the impression that Biden would be less likely to encourage and participate in conflicts in the middle east. After the lack of success that Liberal Hegemony has had for the United States, I was under the impression that we would focus on the big picture. Stated in the report, for weeks it seemed that it was the Biden administration’s intention to focus on the growing threat from China. This act really doesn’t seem to align well with that message. It is slightly surprising to see the United States continue their previous international strategy even though it has not worked well for some time now. I among with many other American’s are left feeling disappointed in the Biden administration’s first big military move. I would have thought that the United States would take more of an Offshore Balancing approach to some of their interest areas like the Middle East. Additionally, I would have thought that the United States would be more realistic about China’s growing presence on the world stage. It is looking like the Biden administration has no plans to change the manner in which the United States conducts foreign policy.
