A Gaza Ceasefire Deal Is the Only Way to Avoid a Wider War

It is inevitable that much of the discussion in Washington, D.C. regarding the drone attack on a small U.S. military base on the Jordanian-Syrian border on Sunday that left three U.S. service members dead and as many as 40 injured is focused on how to retaliate.

President Joe Biden immediately indicated the U.S. would strike back. And naturally—D.C. being D.C.—Republicans immediately called for a “bigger response” even before they knew what the administration’s plans to hold those responsible for the attack were.

But the debate over the response to the attack, apparently made possible when the drone launched by an Iran-backed militia group dodged the base’s defenses by following a homeward-bound U.S. drone that was returning to the “Tower 22” outpost, is itself a trap. Debating tactics in the midst of complex, rapidly evolving conflict in the Middle East that has broader ramifications here and the U.S. and worldwide, often ends up being a distraction from bigger more strategic issues.

Read more at The Daily Beast.