U.S. State Department representative Ned Price addresses a concern throughout a news instruction at the department in Washington, February 9, 2021.
Olivier Douliery | Pool | Reuters
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration pledged on Wednesday that there will be effects for those behind the lethal rocket attack previously today in northern Iraq.
“It is fair to say that there will be consequences for any group responsible for this attack,” State Department representative Ned Price informed press reporters throughout an instruction.
The attack in the city of Irbil in the Kurdistan area eliminated one civilian professional and hurt 9 others, consisting of a U.S. service member, according to U.S. Army Col. Wayne Marotto, representative for the union battling ISIS.
At least 3 rockets struck near the civilian Irbil International Airport late Monday night, Kurdish security sources informed NBC News. A close-by base homes U.S. soldiers.
Price’s remarks Wednesday represents a small escalation in the Biden addministration’s position on the strike. On the heels of the attack, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated the administration was performing an examination with its allies in the area. When continued a possible U.S. reaction, Psaki stated that the United States “reserves the right to respond in a timely manner of our choosing.”
“But we’ll wait for the attribution to be concluded first before we take any additional steps. I will convey to you that diplomacy is a priority with this administration,” she stated, without providing additional information.
The rocket attack in Iraq comes as NATO, the world’s most effective military alliance, fulfills to go over coalition-led objectives in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I expect ministers will agree to launch an expanded mission, with more allied personnel training and advising in more security institutions across the country,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated Wednesday.
“The mission will expand gradually in response to the situation,” Stoltenberg stated, including that the NATO members had actually gotten demands from the Iraqi federal government.
The Pentagon is “enthusiastic about and welcomes NATO’s increased focus on Iraq,” a senior Defense main informed press reporters ahead of the NATO conference. The authorities, who spoke on the condition of privacy, would not reveal whether the U.S. armed force would contribute more soldiers to the battle in Iraq.
The United States has 2,500 soldiers in Iraq and another 2,500 service members in Afghanistan.
