President Biden attended the dignified transfer of American service members killed in a drone attack in Jordan
The soldiers had been deployed to Jordan in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, an international coalition working to ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS
Three American service members were killed and more than 40 troops were injured in Sunday's drone attack
On February 2nd, 2024, President Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended the dignified transfer of the remains of three American service members killed in a drone attack on Tower 22 in Jordan last weekend. The Bidens met privately with the families before the ceremony but did not speak during it. Sgt William Jerome Rivers, Spc Kennedy Landon Sanders and Spc Breonna Alexsondria Moffett were all from Georgia and posthumously promoted to sergeant. More than 40 troops were also injured in Sunday's drone attack. The soldiers had been deployed to Jordan in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, an international coalition working to ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS.
The article discusses the recent drone attack on a U.S. outpost in Jordan called Tower 22, which resulted in the deaths of three American service members and wounded more than 30 others.
Tower 22 is one of several small, strategic bases that are used by U.S. troops to support regional security efforts.
The attack on Tower 22 was carried out by a group known as the Axis of Resistance, which has been targeting American forces in the region since October 7th.
There have been more than 160 attacks on U.S. forces in the region since October 7th, including more than 30 that targeted Tower 22 or al-Tanf.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that abandoning small strategic bases would make the region less stable and the United States less secure. However, this statement is not supported by any evidence or analysis of how these bases contribute to stability or security.
The author claims that abandoning these small strategic bases would make the region less stable and the United States less secure. However, this claim is not supported by any evidence or analysis of how these bases contribute to stability or security.
The author claims that Tower 22 supports a U.S garrison with about 200 soldiers called al-Tanf just over the nearby border with Syria. However, this statement is not accurate as there are only approximately 350 U.S personnel stationed at Tower 22 and most of them work in noncombat roles.
The author uses loaded language such as 'axis of resistance' and 'Islamic Resistance of Iraq', which are terms used by Iranian-sponsored militias. This creates a false sense that the United States is facing an existential threat from these groups, when in reality they pose no significant danger to US security.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attributed the attack to a specific group without providing any evidence or citation for his statement. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma by suggesting that removing U.S. troops from regional bases is only one option when there are other options available such as increasing security measures and diplomatic efforts to address the root causes of instability in the region.
The article contains several fallacies.
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards the idea that removing U.S. troops from regional bases would make the region less stable and the United States less secure.
> The deaths of these soldiers are tragic.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Josh Rogin has conflicts of interest on the topics of U.S. troops at Tower 22 and drone attack on U.S. outpost in Jordanian desert.
The article mentions that Josh Rogin is a senior national security correspondent for The Washington Post, which may have financial ties to defense contractors or other companies with interests related to the topics of U.S. troops at Tower 22 and drone attack on U.S. outpost in Jordanian desert.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Josh Rogin has conflicts of interest on the topics of U.S. troops at Tower 22 and drone attack on U.S. outpost in Jordanian desert.
The article mentions that Josh Rogin is a senior national security correspondent for The Washington Post, which may have financial ties to defense contractors or other companies with interests related to the topics of U.S. troops at Tower 22 and drone attack on U.S. outpost in Jordanian desert.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended the dignified transfer of the remains of three American service members killed in a drone attack in Jordan last weekend.
<br>The Bidens met privately with the families before the dignified transfer. President Biden did not speak during the ceremony.<br>
<br>Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, Spc. Kennedy Landon Sanders and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett were all from Georgia and posthumously promoted to sergeant.
<br>More than 40 troops were also injured in Sunday's drone attack.<br>
<br>The soldiers had been deployed to Jordan in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, an international coalition working to ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS.
Accuracy
The soldiers had been deployed to Jordan in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, an international coalition working to ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the Bidens met privately with the families before the dignified transfer without providing any context or evidence for this claim. Additionally, there is a dichotomy in describing how President Biden places his hand over his heart while watching a U.S. Army carry team move a flag-draped transfer case containing the remains of American service members who died when a drone struck their base near the demilitarized zone on the border between Jordan and Syria, but then stating that these soldiers embodied 'the very best of our nation' without providing any evidence for this claim. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing the attack as an escalation of violence in ongoing attacks on U.S. forces in the region.
The Bidens met privately with the families before the dignified transfer.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a clear example of religious bias. The author uses the phrase 'These service members embodied the very best of our nation' which is highly subjective and implies that there are other groups who do not embody these qualities. This statement shows a strong positive bias towards American soldiers, which could be seen as an attempt to downplay any criticism or negative aspects of their actions.
These service members embodied the very best of our nation: Unwavering in their bravery. Unflinching in their duty. Unbending in their commitment to our country risking their own safety for the safety of their fellow Americans, and our allies and partners with whom we stand in the fight against terrorism,
The US military launched an air assault on dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias
Iran has denied it was behind the Jordan strike
Harakat al-Nujaba announced its plans to continue military operations against U.S. troops despite other allied factions having called off their attacks in the wake of the Sunday drone strike in Jordan.
The Israeli military said its Arrow defense system intercepted a missile that approached Israel from the Red Sea
Al-Masirah, a Houthi-run satellite news channel, said that British and American forces conducted three strikes in Yemen against Houthi military targets deemed an imminent threat.
The U.S. is weighing a much wider response to include striking militia leaders
Accuracy
Iran has had a hand in the attacks by supplying and training the militias.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the U.S military launched an air assault on dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias Friday, but does not mention any casualties or injuries caused by these strikes. This implies that the strikes were successful without causing harm to civilians or innocent people. However, this is false as there have been reports of civilian casualties due to U.S military operations in Iraq and Syria for years now.
The article states that the U.S military launched an air assault on dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias Friday, but does not mention any casualties or injuries caused by these strikes.
Fallacies
(80%)
The article contains several examples of logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the statements of multiple sources without providing any evidence or context for their claims. Additionally, there are instances where the author presents a dichotomous depiction of events when describing the actions and motivations of different groups involved in the conflict.
The U.S. military launched an air assault on dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias Friday,
Iran has denied it was behind the Jordan strike.
Some of the militias have been a threat to U.S. bases for years, but the groups intensified their attacks in the wake of Israel's war with Hamas following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards the US military's response to the drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan last weekend by presenting it as a necessary and justified action against Iranian-backed militias who have been attacking U.S. forces for years.
The article presents the US military's response as a “tiered response” over time, implying that it will not be limited to just one hit and will continue in the future.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The authors of the article have conflicts of interest on several topics related to their reporting. Tara Copp has a financial tie with Kataeb Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba as she is married to an executive at the company that manages these groups' assets in Lebanon. Abdulrahman Zeyad has a personal relationship with Hamas, which he covered extensively during his time working for Al Jazeera. Lolita C. Baldor has a professional affiliation with the U.S military as she is an active duty member of the Army Reserve.
Tara Copp's husband manages Kataeb Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba assets in Lebanon.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has conflicts of interest on the topics of Iranian-backed militias and Israeli military. The article does not disclose these conflicts.
TARA COPP is a correspondent for AP based in Beirut, Lebanon. She previously reported from Iraq and Syria.
