Strategic Deterrence has to be Forceful at this Most Dangerous Time
Douglas Herz, a fellow American Thinker writer, asks an extremely profound question going forward after the evolving Afghan Taliban horrific defeat of America ever being allowed by an American President and his National Security team:
Why was Bagram Air Base closed?
Biden closed Bagram Air Base on July 5, opening the way for the Taliban to take over Afghanistan.
The Taliban respect American airpower.
They know all too well that a U.S. aircraft killed Qassem Soleimani, the “Shadow Commander” of Iranian forces in the Middle East, and also precipitated the fall of ISIS by decapitating its leadership.
U.S. airpower in Afghanistan is projected from Bagram Air Base, located 40 miles north of Kabul.
President Donald Trump had been using this strategic American asset as leverage during his negotiations with the Taliban.
Douglas Herz is spot on.
It was both a tactical and strategic horrendous decision that must be addressed and corrected right now on a global deterrence scale. America with the Biden Administration’s total ignorance of the value of airpower cannot let such a foolish mistake symbolically stand.
So far the danger to America is emerging direct actionable terrorism against us coming from a now well-equipped sanctuary for mortal enemies.
The proven feckless Biden team has allowed proven murderous fanatics to have the means and perhaps opportunities sooner rather than later to strike at everything we hold dear about our Constitutional rights as American’s to live under President Roosevelt’s Famous Four Freedoms; the freedom of speech, the freedom of worship, the freedom from want, and the freedom from fear.
However, as many will continue to discuss the specific events in allowing a well-equipped base for the Taliban to exist, the profoundly symbolic issue of our disgraceful defeat will transcend just combat battlefield actions in central Asia.
That is why removing airpower that mitigated and specifically kept in check Taliban battlefield military gains makes me very concerned that our enemies armed with Nuclear warheads on ICBMs will see America weakened and paralyzed by inept judgment and leadership.
This is now the most dangerous time in our history.
The Cold war proved to this day that America always have to be vigilant to be ready for a strategic strike of enemy action, a full-on ICBM Nuc strike, however that possibility has always been correctly tempered by our Navy and Air Force Strategic Triad, our Boomer subs on station 24/7, Minuteman Missile Silos ever ready and USAF Strategic bombers.
Russia and China long ago resolved the question of striking America. Chairman Mao called the U.S. “a paper tiger” but then Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev reportedly said, “the paper tiger has nuclear teeth”.
Unfortunately, on the great intangible of stalwart and fortitude strategic thinking by a U.S. President, then Senator Biden proved to be a foolish foolish man.
Speaking in 2006, Biden described North Korea as a “paper tiger” that lacked the capacity to directly cause harm to America.
He was so wrong.
Fortunately, so far, American Air and Sea Power in both the Atlantic and Pacific, along with constant practice war fighting exercise partnerships with our allies, have both the means to deter and if events present the opportunity to fight and win.
Right now in a conventional battle against the current tactical military capabilities of the Peoples Republic of China or President Putin’s Russia America and our allies can still fight and win.
The message must go forward from the White House to both our friends and adversaries of stalwart clear eyed U.S. resolve to deter China and Russia with strategic force if necessary and fight and thus win conventionally if needed.
If the land war centric team running the U.S. National Security (both SecDef and Chair JCS are Army Four star Generals, one retired and one active duty) were so ignorant to let a fellow Army General strip airpower out of the battle when it was most needed. their combat judgment has proven to be suspect and wanting.
Navy Admirals and Air Force Generals in both the Atlantic and Pacific know how to fight and win, however it is up to the National Command authority to have their back if war breaks out.
A message of “do not even try” delivered with credibility, must be in play right now before any potential enemy sniffs feckless weakness.
The global media must drive home the simple question: is America leadership willing and capable to defend ourselves and protect our friends?
As the late UK Prime Minister “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher once quipped “do not go wobbly.”
President Biden cannot hide out by symbolically going wobbly in his Delaware home.
My point transcends partisan politics, at the water’s edge in the nuclear age, we are all Americans together.