Military Expert: US Troops Killed in Jordan Were Vulnerable to Attack

Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis told Fox News Live's Arthel Neville on Sunday afternoon that the U.S. troops killed by a drone strike in Jordan were a "strategic vulnerability."

The Context

Three United States military personnel were killed and dozens more injured by a drone strike in Jordan, a close Middle Eastern ally to the U.S.

The deaths mark the first U.S. troops killed in the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.

President Joe Biden announced the attack against the U.S. troops stationed near the Syrian border in northeastern Jordan that occurred on Saturday night. He blamed Iran-backed militant groups for the strike. Officials said the attack had been launched from Syria.

"While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq," Biden said in a statement released by the White House. "We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism. And have no doubt—we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing."

Davis, a senior fellow with Defense Priorities, raised questions about the location of the troops killed and injured in this weekend's attack.

"It's pointless to have troops scattered around Iraq and Syria, and now also in Jordan, because they serve no purpose for U.S. Army," he said. "They're a strategic vulnerability. Our troops are used as pawns that make it easy for these Iran-backed groups to hit, and now it's happened."

Davis added: "We need to redeploy these troops where they're better protected with better assets to defend themselves. Then we can worry about some diplomacy."

What We Know

As of 4:20 p.m. ET Sunday, CNN reported "more than 30" U.S. troops were wounded in the attack.

The White House press office told reporters that the president was briefed Sunday morning by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and principal deputy national security adviser Jon Finer on the attack.

When reached by Newsweek for comment on Sunday afternoon, the Department of Defense (DOD) confirmed the deaths and injuries and said via email, "As a matter of respect for the families and in accordance with DoD policy, the identities of the servicemembers will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified."

It's unclear why air defenses failed to intercept the drone.

Davis noted the location of the outpost where the attack occurred, Tower 22. U.S. forces at the outpost are reportedly there as part of an advise-and-assist mission with Jordan.

"This is a tiny point in the desert overlooking a base in Syria. We need to get them out of those areas to larger bases where we have 360-degrees air defense systems," Davis told Neville. "It's going to take some time to do (moving troops) which is why diplomacy is important."

Views

Saturday's attack follows recent U.S. military action against Iranian-backed militias in Yemen as tensions continue to rise in the Red Sea. It also comes amid Israel's continued war in Gaza against Iran-backed Hamas militants.

Daniel R. DePetris, a fellow at Defense Priorities, wrote in a Thursday opinion column for Newsweek that he believes the conflicts in Gaza and Yemen are related.

"Yet in the grand scheme, it's irrelevant whether Washington and London accept the premise or not. Opinions don't matter. The only thing that really matters is reality. And the reality is that the Houthis have had a longstanding position since October that the attacks in the Red Sea will continue as long as the war in Gaza persists," he wrote.

Dan Perry, a managing partner of the New York-based communications firm Thunder11, wrote for Newsweek in an opinion column earlier this month that tolerating the Houthis' actions in the Red Sea is "madness."

"It is not assured, but enough firepower should be able to get the Houthis to back down. It would also be a useful signal to Iran that its mischief is not without consequences. That is better than risking an attack on Iran itself, especially since former President Donald Trump's idiotic pullout from the nuclear deal has left Tehran on the nuclear threshold," he wrote.

What's Next?

According to the Associated Press, Biden asked for a moment of silence during an appearance at a Baptist church's banquet hall while traveling in South Carolina.

"We had a tough day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack on one of our bases," he said. After the moment of silence, Biden added, "and we shall respond."

In Sunday's interview on Fox News Live, Davis urged the U.S., in addition to strategically redeploying its troops in the region, to think "clearly and unemotionally" about any potential retaliation, especially against Iran.

"Everybody wants to hit Iran, but we have to think clearly and unemotionally so that we don't make this even worse," he said. "We need to eliminate whoever did this, but we need to get rid of this (troop) vulnerability. It's not in American interests to see this war expand. It could be hundreds or thousands of lives lost in a war that nobody needs."

Update: 1/28/2024, 4:53 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with quotes from Biden.

Update: 1/28/2024, 4:28 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Update: 1/28/2024, 3:28 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Update: 1/28/2024, 1:48 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.