US launches hundreds of missiles at once, is it revenge or a show?
On December 19, US Defense Secretary Esper announced on social media that the US military launched an air strike against ISIS in Syria on that day, in response to a recent attack on US soldiers.
According to media reports, the US military fired more than 100 precision-guided missiles that day, targeting over 70 locations in central Syria's Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa areas, focusing on destroying ISIS infrastructure and armories.
Esper emphasized in his statement that this action was a "declaration of revenge," spreading the idea that "if you target Americans... America will hunt you down, find you, and kill you without mercy" — reminiscent of the saying "those who offend the strong US, even if far away, will be punished."
The reason for the US military's air strike is obvious: to retaliate for the deaths of two US soldiers in the attack on the city of Palmyra in Syria on December 13 — although the attackers were already killed at the time, the Trump administration still blamed ISIS and threatened retaliation.
But in fact, if the Trump administration truly wanted to retaliate, there was no need for such a big commotion: although ISIS still had remnants in Syria, it had long lost its former territorial control, and had basically degenerated into scattered guerrilla forces and small groups, far from being a significant threat, and did not require such a large-scale military strike.
Therefore, the US military's launching of more than 100 missiles this time is less of a "precise revenge" and more of a display of military might, and also serves to showcase Trump's tough image.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1852021789222988/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.