Weakness invites aggression, so we should prepare for a tumultuous fall on the world stage. Here’s what to watch for.
Even prior to the stunning display of American failure in Afghanistan, President Biden appeared slow-witted and spineless on crucial U.S. national security matters.
For example, Biden handed Russia’s Vladimir Putin gift after gift: extending the START Treaty, lifting Nord Stream 2 pipeline sanctions despite bipartisan legislation and essentially surrendering Ukraine to Russia. During the Biden-Putin summit in Geneva, Biden was tougher with an American journalist than with Putin. After Biden’s advisers and the first lady told the press how extensively he prepared for the meeting, he cut it short.
Biden also responded to the several major cyberattacks traced to Russia—including the meat processor JBS and the Colonial pipeline—by handing Putin a list of critical infrastructure that was “off limits.” Biden claimed Putin would change his behavior if his standing was diminished in the world, showing a fundamental lack of understanding Putin’s motivations.
Rejoining the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran has been Biden’s top priority since taking office, and he was willing to offer Tehran almost anything for it. Tehran refused to negotiate with the United States directly, and operates with impunity in the Middle East.
In July, Iranian intelligence attempted to kidnap Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist, from American soil. In August, an Iranian drone attacked an Israeli merchant ship, killing two crew members. Iranian proxies targeted Americas in Syria and Iraq, and Hezbollah increased rocket attacks on Israel. It also appears Tehran attempted to close the Strait of Hormuz using sea mines.
In June, Biden proclaimed “America is back” with “renewed commitment to our allies and partners.” But North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies with troops on the ground in Afghanistan disagree as they scramble to get out their people out due to America’s hasty withdrawal. British paratroopers, prepared for face-to-face combat, have descended on Kabul to rescue British citizens.
Weakness invites aggression, so we should prepare for a tumultuous fall on the world stage. Here’s what to watch for.
1. An American Hostage Situation in Afghanistan
The Biden administration is not even aware of how many Americans are left in Afghanistan. It could be as many as 15,000. The administration canceled a Trump-era bureau overseeing protection and evacuation for American citizens in Afghanistan. Now Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin says the U.S. military does not have the capability to “go in and collect large numbers of people.”
President Obama ensured the Taliban understood the value of American hostages. In 2014, Obama released five Taliban commanders—one of whom is currently among Taliban leadership in Kabul—for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who later pled guilty to desertion and was dishonorably discharged. The abandoned Americans may be used for leverage, either by the Taliban or other extremist groups. What is unfolding in Afghanistan may make the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis may look tame by comparison.
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