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What’s the significance of Biden’s first military strikes in Syria?

Photo: Aerial of the Pentagon, the Department of Defense headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, near Washington DC, with I-395 freeway on the left, and the Air Force Memorial up middle.

President Biden’s authorization of a U.S. retaliatory strike against Iranian-backed militias in Syria raises questions about his administration’s policies toward Iraq, Syria, and the broader region. Michael O’Hanlon addresses the scale of the airstrikes, whether congressional authorization should have been sought, and how he expects the Biden administration to streamline the U.S. military presence in the Middle East.

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Thanks to audio producers Gaston Reboredo and Colin Cruickshank, Chris McKenna, Fred Dews, Marie Wilken, and Camilo Ramirez for their support.