Congressional Candidate Kevin Dellicker Addresses Drone Attack That Killed and Injured US Soldiers

On Saturday night, three US soldiers stationed in Jordan were killed and at least 34 were injured as a result of a kamikaze drone launched by Iranian-backed militants. I questioned how we should respond, but received few cogent answers. How about our Lehigh Valley Rep in Washington? Susan Wild was too busy criticizing Republicans over a border security bill to have much to say. GOP Congressional candidates Ryan MacKenzie and Maria Montero were in turn complaining about Wild. But one GOP Congressional candidate, Kevin Dellicker, did have a thoughtful response, and actually sent it to me. 

He's the only one of this quartet who himself was a member of the military. And I appreciate his willingness to address this direct affront to our national security. His reply is below:

Here is my response to your question, “How Do We Respond to the Drone Attack that Killed Three U.S. Soldiers in Jordan and Injured 30+?”

Short Term:

1. We must take immediate steps to protect U.S. troops in the region who are deployed at remote outposts throughout the Middle East, Southwest Asia, and Africa. These brave men and women have been the target of more than 150 attacks from Iranian-backed militias since October and now three Army Reservists are dead. The Biden Administration must remove restrictive rules of engagement and weapons limitations, withdraw vulnerable troops to more fortified locations, and/or reinforce forward operating bases with additional firepower. That means ensuring that enough assets are immediately moved to the U.S. military hubs in the region to respond if remote troops are in trouble. Currently, we are at risk of another Mogadishu or Benghazi.

2. We must strike at the Iranian-backed terrorists who have waged these attacks. Most of these groups are operating in areas where the U.S. has air superiority. We must target fighters, weapons storehouses, command-and-control, logistics infrastructure, and warfighting capabilities in multiple places against multiple militias. This not to “send a message.” It is to degrade the militias' ability to attack American troops in the region and deter them from attacking again.

Near Term:

1. The Biden Administration owes the American public an explanation of why we have all those remote outposts in the first place, what our troops our doing there, and when their mission will be accomplished. Most Americans didn’t even know we had troops in Jordan.

2. The Iranian militias are likely to reconstitute and reattack even after a devastating strike. The only way to stop them long-term is to sever their supply networks and dissuade their benefactors in Iran. This requires a combination of military, diplomatic, economic, and information operations against Iran that will be expensive, difficult, and long-lasting.

3. Bombing Iranian sites that produce the drones, rockets, and missiles is an option, but the American people are not ready for a war with Iran, and neither is the U.S. military. We hardly have enough resources to meet our current challenges. I don’t support this course of action right now.

Long Term:

1. The Iranians are poised to have nuclear weapons aimed at Israel and American military bases in the region. A nuclear-armed Ayatollah will pose unprecedented risks to world peace and prosperity. We have three options to prevent it: destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities before they are fielded, change the regime, or engage the regime. President Biden has tried the latter, and it has failed miserably. The President must level with the American people about his failed appeasement policies and the severity of the threat we face from a nuclear Iran. There are no good options.

2. We must rebuild our military. We have lost our deterrence. Our military is stretched so thin that we are sending reservists from Georgia to remote outposts in Jordan. Did you know that hundreds of soldiers from the Pennsylvania Army National Guard are heading into the region right now? We can’t produce enough ships, submarines, missiles, or aircraft. We can’t even produce enough bullets. Our weapons are too expensive. Our supply chains are too dependent on other countries. Our military wastes millions of dollars on progressive priorities that have nothing to do with fighting and winning wars. We are not ready to counter China.

Our sovereignty is being challenged, our interests are being attacked, and our sons and daughters are dying. We are failing in our responsibility to defend our country and protect our troops.

We need strong leaders in Washington with national security experience to fix our military and keep us safe. That’s a main reason why I’m running for Congress.