US forces serve as bait for a new front to loora, toora, lure-Teh-ran

(Originally published Oct. 31 in “What in the World“) Twenty-three. That’s how many times Iran-backed militias have now had the audacity to launch drone strikes against U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17. Despite U.S. President Joe Biden’s warning that they’d better not.

Will these people never learn? This is a new Cold War, a test of American resolve. Just ask Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, who has pledged support for U.S. President Joe Biden’s request for more emergency military aid to Ukraine. “Think of it as an axis of evil: China, Russia and Iran,” McConnell said. “So this is not just a test for Ukraine. It is a test for the United States and for the free world.”

Jordan is now asking that Washington remember that, despite canceling Biden’s plans to visit there earlier this month, it’s one of the good guys and give it Patriot anti-missile defense batteries. Amman needn’t worry. America is resolved.