The official Defense Department statement about yesterday's U. S. airstrikes in Syria

The official Defense Department statement about yesterday's U. S. airstrikes in Syria says "the operation sends an unambiguous message: President Biden will act to protect American and Coalition personnel," but it also sends another unambiguous message. The strikes were against "infrastructure" rather than the "Iranian-backed militant groups" at a "border control point", while those militants had previously attacked not buildings but "American and Coalition personnel." Further, the conclusion that "we have acted in a deliberate manner" may mean "carefully considered" or "intentional". Thus, in contrast to "deliberate" Americans, the statement constructs the militants – and by extension Iran – as implicitly careless and uncontrolled in their direct attacks on people rather than "facilities".  (Andrew Shields, #111words, 26 February 2021)