Specifically, consider the mess Mr. Biden leaves to the incoming Trump administration, which includes serious security challenges in the Mideast, Europe and Asia as well as a weakened armed forces. Yet, things might get worse before Inauguration Day (January 20, 2025). For example:
Axios reports White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan presented Mr. Biden with options for a potential U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities prior to Inauguration Day. Does Biden intend to strike Iran as a parting shot? That would thrust the U.S. into yet a refreshed war in the already troubled Mideast.
The War Zone reports U.S. forces are building a new base in northern Syria, along the Turkish border – an area riven by strife between Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic forces and Turkish-backed forces. This move happens as a new Syrian government tries to establish control over that war-torn country after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. Allegedly, the 2,000 U.S. troops now in Syria are there to continue the fight against the Islamic State, an enemy now fingered in the deadly New Year’s terrorist attack in New Orleans. Does a new U.S. base in Syria and fresh troops contribute to less war in the Mideast? Does it help with an emergent terror threat here in our homeland? Unlikely.
USNI News reports the Biden administration will hand-off to Trump an escalating Red Sea problem. Last year, the U.S. Navy was tied down in the Red Sea battling Yemen’s Houthi rebels … and now we learn the Pentagon adjusted carrier schedules and deployments to address that ongoing challenge. Will the U.S. military now be permanently tied down guarding the Red Sea? That appears to be the case.
Associated Press reports the Biden administration is pushing to get as much military aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on January 20, 2025. If Biden is successful, the U.S. will have provided more than $64 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022. How does this end the festering war in eastern Europe? Simply, Biden’s efforts will continue the bloodletting and escalate the possibility the U.S. and, by association, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization become more involved in the almost three-year war started by Russia.
The Associated Press reportedly okayed Ukraine’s use of the long-range Army Tactical Missile System against Russian targets inside that country. Does this decision push Kyiv-Moscow toward peace talks? No. Unfortunately, other NATO allies such as the French gave Kyiv the go-ahead to use their provided long-range weapons against the Russians as well.
The Pentagon’s 24th China Military Power Report issued on December 18, 2024, details the most dramatic military buildup since World War II. What are China’s long-term ambitions given its rapid and significant military buildup? I’ve long argued China has global aspirations; and a robust military is just one indicator of those ambitions.
CIA Director William Burns, according to the New York Times, noted that China’s president, Xi Jinping, “has instructed his armed forces to be ready for an invasion [of Taiwan] by 2027.” Will Beijing attack Taiwan soon? And might the U.S. join that fight? It appears President Xi is serious about taking Taiwan by force, and Mr. Trump will face a tough decision about countering Beijing’s ambition.
What a legacy indeed! These hotspots are joined by others across the world. And besides, Mr. Biden’s tenure in the White House has done much to weaken our fighting force: he drained our arsenals, neglected modernization, soured recruiting, pushed for a radical social agenda within our ranks and more!
Arguably, our world is imploding, and war seems to be at our very doorstep. And Team Biden even in these waning days appears to be doubling down on a radically failed legacy. Meanwhile, President-elect Trump will inherit a serious mess beginning January 20, 2025 – one that will require herculean efforts to fix … and our collective prayers that it’s not too late.
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