Deeper role: On the U.S. and West Asia conflicts
The Biden administration’s decision to send an advanced anti-missile system to Israel, and soldiers to operate it, is the latest sign that the U.S. is getting drawn into the unfolding conflict in West Asia. Ever since the latest war here broke out, after Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, the U.S. had publicly maintained that it did not want a regional war. The U.S President adopted a twin approach — to give Israel a free hand in its war on Gaza, while spending America’s diplomatic and military resources to prevent an escalation. When Israel carried out a disastrous, disproportionate war on Gaza, facing allegations of genocide, Mr. Biden sent Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken several times to the region to keep the American coalition intact. The U.S. launched an airstrike campaign agai...