US strikes back after attack kills American and British troops in Iraq

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‘WE WILL HOLD PERPETRATORS ACCOUNTABLE’: Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley met with reporters in the Pentagon briefing room yesterday, and left little doubt about what was coming, in the wake of an attack on a coalition base in Iraq that killed two U.S. troops and one U.K. soldier, and wounded 14 others.

“We will hold perpetrators accountable,” vowed Esper. “You don’t get to shoot at our bases and kill and wound Americans and get away with it.”

FIVE SITES HIT: Milley said the United States knew who was behind the rocket attack “with a high degree of certainty,” based in part on the capture of a truck that had been modified with tubes to launch 107 mm Katyusha rockets.

A statement released by the Pentagon last night said the U.S. conducted “defensive precision strikes” against weapons storage facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shiite militia group.

“These strikes targeted five weapon storage facilities to significantly degrade their ability to conduct future attacks against Operation Inherent Resolve coalition forces,” the statement said. “These weapons storage facilities include facilities that housed weapons used to target U.S. and coalition troops.”

A ‘DEFENSIVE, PROPORTIONAL’ RESPONSE: The strikes appeared calibrated to send a message to Kataib Hezbollah while attempting to avoid sparking the kind of backlash that followed U.S. airstrikes against the group in December, when a similar rocket attack killed a U.S. contractor in Kirkuk.

That led to an attempt by Iranian-backed protestors to storm the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, which in turn was followed by the Jan. 3 U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian Quds Force commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, a leader of the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, of which Kataib Hezbollah is a member.

“These strikes were defensive, proportional, and in direct response to the threat posed by Iranian-backed Shia militia groups who continue to attack bases hosting OIR coalition forces,” said the Pentagon’s post-strike statement. “These terror groups must cease their attacks on U.S. and coalition forces or face consequences at a time and place of our choosing.”

WHY NOW?: Asked about the timing of the Kataib Hezbollah, Milley noted the date of the rocket attack coincides with the birthday of Soleimani but said any number of factors could be in play.

“It could be a lot of reasons. It could be coronavirus. It could be rogue Shia militia groups. It could be Soleimani’s birthday,” Milley told reporters. “It could be a lot of things. Don’t know. All we do know for certain is 12 to 18 107 mm rockets impacted on a base occupied by U.S. forces and two Americans are dead, and one Brit’s dead.”

On Capitol Hill, U.S. Central Commander Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie was testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee and said after a retaliatory missile attack on a U.S. base in Iraq, Iran appears to be continuing in its old ways.

“We’ve seen they have stood their missiles down … I don’t think that’s an imminent threat,” McKenzie testified. “What has not been changed is their continuing desire to operate through their proxies indirectly against us. And that is a far more difficult area to deter.”

McKenzie also suggested the uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus in Iran may be affecting its leadership. “We’ve seen public admissions of various senior leaders that are ill, and a couple that have actually died. I think it is having an effect on how they made decisions. I think it slows them down,” he said.

“I think there are a couple pressures on Iranian leadership right now,” McKenzie said, citing outrage in Iran after the accidental shootdown of a Ukrainian civilian airliner that killed all 176 people. “That, coupled with their inability to effectively respond to the coronavirus is, I think, inducing pressure on and inside the leadership,” he said.

WAIT, THERE’S MORE: McKenzie is scheduled to provide more details on last night’s strikes at a briefing for reporters at the Pentagon this morning. The Q-and-A session will be streamed live on the Pentagon’s website (https://www.defense.gov/Watch/Live) at 8:30 a.m.

Good Friday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by David Sivak. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.

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HAPPENING TODAY: The other big story at the Pentagon these days is the effect the coronavirus pandemic is having on U.S. military forces and their dependents worldwide. This morning, Army Gen. Robert Abrams, commander, U.S. Forces Korea, will provide an update from his headquarters, Camp Humphreys, South Korea, via video teleconference at 7:30 a.m Washington time (8:30 p.m. Korea time). Live stream at https://www.defense.gov/Watch/Live.

THE LATEST EXPOSURES: The number of U.S. military personnel and DoD civilians infected by the coronavirus remains low but is slowly growing with each day. Yesterday, Defense Secretary Esper said the Pentagon now has confirmed cases involving active-duty service members and seven more involving dependents or civilians.

Two of the newest cases involve an active-duty airman assigned to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and a contractor at Moody Air Force, in Georgia.

The airman, who recently traveled to Seattle, Washington, is “currently undergoing evaluation and treatment following a presumptive positive novel coronavirus test,” the Air Force said in a statement.

That caught the attention of Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who issued a statement. “With the first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 on Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma, I commend Altus and all of Oklahoma’s military installations for taking every precaution necessary to minimize any risk to the health and safety of our service members and the surrounding communities,” he said. “My prayers are with the service member and his family, who are quarantined at home, and I wish them a swift recovery.”

The Marines also announced that a Marine stationed in Miramar, California, has tested positive and is receiving treatment in isolation while the CDC confirms the test results. “A second Marine with I MEF is currently a person under investigation with restriction of movement aboard Camp Pendleton and is receiving daily medical checks by Navy medical personnel,” a statement said.

THE CANCEL CULTURE: The Air Force also announced a series of decisions meant to curb the spread of the virus, including cancellation of the March 28-29 air show at March Air Force Base, California, a ban on guests at the awards and commissioning ceremonies at the Air University’s Officer Training School, and a ban on visitors to Air Force Academy, as well as barring spectators from all home games.

NOT BELIEVED INFECTED: The U.S. Southern Command issued a statement noting that its commander, Adm. Craig Faller, has not experienced symptoms of COVID-19 and has not been tested.

The statement comes after a Brazilian official, who accompanied Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on a visit to the U.S. Southern Command headquarters in Miami Sunday, tested positive for COVID-19.

“We have taken immediate actions to account for all personnel who supported the Brazilian president’s visit to U.S. Southern Command,” the statement said. “At present, our medical professionals are working with the U.S. Embassy in Brazil, the Florida Department of Health and other health officials to individually contact each person who was present to conduct an assessment of the risk of exposure based on guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

RELATED: Washington Examiner: Brazil urges White House officials to take ‘preventive measures’ after coronavirus carrier met Trump

Washington Post: Australian minister contracts virus after D.C. events with top U.S. officials, including William P. Barr and Ivanka Trump

AP: Canada: Trudeau’s wife tests positive for new coronavirus

THE FALLEN: The Pentagon will announce later today the names of the two American troops killed in Wednesday’s attack, after waiting the requisite 24 hours to provide family notification.

Meanwhile, the British Defense Ministry has identified its fatality as Lance Cpl. Brodie Gillon, a 26-year-old female medic who served as a Reserve with the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry.

“LCpl Gillon was a fit, energetic and compassionate individual, who played an active role in all aspects of military life. She juggled her military training with her career as a self-employed sports physiotherapist, and clearly excelled and was committed to both,” said a Ministry statement.

“She was a larger than life soldier who was determined to deploy on operations, help others, develop herself and gain practical experience,” said her commanding officer. “Her loss is keenly felt.”

SIGN OF THE TIMES: It’s not just Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, and late-night TV shows that are forgoing a live studio audience. Because of the coronavirus, the empty auditorium is becoming de rigueur for Washington think tanks. Many, such as the Hudson Institute, say until further notice, they will only live stream their public events.

“We will continue to host events on public policy as appropriate, but without a public audience,” said a statement issued yesterday. “Broadcast outlets may be allowed in person for coverage of high-profile events on a case-by-case basis, but we encourage all media to cover events remotely via our YouTube live stream.”

The Rundown

Washington Examiner: Troop deaths: ‘Iran needs to understand that we hold them ultimately responsible’

Washington Examiner: US General: Coronavirus outbreak hampering Iranian regime’s ability to govern

Washington Examiner: Iran demands Western coronavirus aid one day after proxy militia kills two Americans in Iraq

Washington Post: Massive burial pits suggest a more dire situation in Iran

Washington Examiner: Chinese diplomat accuses US Army of creating coronavirus epidemic in Wuhan

Navy Times: Naval Academy Extends Spring Break Amid Coronavirus Concerns

New York Times: Canceled War Games. Video Meetings. The Military Guards Against Coronavirus.

Seapower Magazine: Coronavirus Outbreak Could Have Lasting Impact On Sea Services’ Supply Chain, Official Says

Business Insider: The Pentagon says it ‘wishes to reconsider’ the award to Microsoft of the $10 billion JEDI cloud computing contract

USNI News: Modly: Parallel Fleet Studies Could Reshape Future of Aircraft Carriers

Washington Examiner: The goal of a 355-ship Navy is elusive, especially when the world keeps changing

Washington Examiner: Chelsea Manning ordered released from jail after refusing to testify about WikiLeaks

Breaking Defense: HASC Grills MDA Chief On ’21 Budget, Space-Based Sensors

Just the News: Is Islamic State regrouping in Turkey? U.S. believes so

Calendar

FRIDAY | MARCH 13

Postponed until April 24th. 1135 16th St. N.W. — American Bar Association Standing Committee on Law and National Security breakfast, with Special Inspector General John Sopko discussing “Corruption: A Threat to Rule of Law and Sustainable Peace in Afghanistan.” https://www.americanbar.org/news

7:30 a.m. Pentagon Briefing Room 2E972 — Army Gen. Robert Abrams, commander, U.S. Forces Korea, United Nations Command and Combined Forces Command, briefs reporters by video teleconference from Camp Humphreys, South Korea. Streamed live at https://www.defense.gov/Watch/Live-Events.

8:30 a.m. Pentagon Briefing Room 2E972 — Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, briefs reporters on airstrikes conducted against Kataib Hezbollah facilities across Iraq yesterday. Streamed live at https://www.defense.gov/Watch/Live-Events.

9:30 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. N.W. — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion on “Army Air and Missile Defense,” with Maj. Gen. Robert Rasch, program executive officer for Army Missiles and Space; Brig. Gen. Brian Gibson, director of the Army Air and Missile Defense Cross-Functional Team; Barbara Treharne, senior analyst at the Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization; Brian Green, nonresident senior associate at CSIS; and Thomas Karako, director of the CSIS Missile Defense Project. http://www.csis.org

10 a.m. — Hudson Institute webcast on “The U.S. Navy’s Strategic Edge,” focusing on the U.S.-China competition in the Indo-Pacific, with Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly; and Seth Cropsey, director of the Hudson Center for American Seapower. Webcast is available at https://www.hudson.org/events/1788-livestream.

10:30 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussion on “France’s Defense Strategy,” with French Ambassador to the U.S. Philippe Etienne; and former Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, president of CEIP. http://carnegieendowment.org

12:30 p.m. Pentagon, Briefing Room 2D972 — Assistant Air Force Secretary for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Will Roper briefs reporters. Streamed live at https://www.defense.gov/Watch/Live-Events.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“You don’t get to shoot at our bases and kill and wound Americans and get away with it.”

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, in remarks to the press hours before U.S. airstrikes in Iraq aimed at punishing Iranian-backed militias.

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