Since President Joe Biden inherited a strong and invincible America from former President Donald Trump, our country’s national security policy has been on a downward spiral.
High grocery and gas prices? Blame it on Biden’s feckless policy toward Russia that invited the war in Ukraine, unforgiving oil sanctions and the curtailment of grain shipments from the Black Sea.
The Middle East was a zone of peace until Oct. 7, when Hamas launched its dastardly attack on Israel, featuring the killing and raping of civilians and taking of hostages. Hamas attacked because of Biden’s irresolution in backing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unconditionally.
Hamas craved war. It has gotten more than it asked for. Its leadership has been exterminated. Its popularity has plunged as it has been unable to protect 2.3 million Palestinian civilians from the masterful Israel Defense Forces. Hamas is on the verge of extinction. Unconditional surrender is at hand. Netanyahu will be running victory laps soon. His iron grip on power remains undiminished.
Hamas is on its last legs. Death and destruction in Gaza and the West Bank continue unabated. In desperation, Hamas has infiltrated Congress, American cities run by Democrats and international bodies in a futile effort to turn the world against Israel. But the Hamas propaganda is not working.
It has provoked violent protests and property damage in London and other parts of the United Kingdom, while the rest of Europe remains less convulsed.
The Arab world withholds any criticism of Israel. They want no part of Palestinian refugees to disturb their stable, peaceful, dictatorships. The Arab world is sick of Hamas, of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and an array of Islamic “political parties” amounting to nothing more than surrogate paramilitary militias controlled by Iran. Hezbollah is on the edge of losing political sway in Lebanon with its chronic, vicious attacks on northern Israel.
A terrifying flow of mature and experienced fighters from al-Qaida, ISIS, and variegated Islamic organizations traces back to the evil mullahs of Tehran frightened of teenagers without head scarfs and on the cusp of acquiring nuclear weapons on Biden’s watch.
The Taliban have created a clearing house and bus terminal to transport merciless Islamic terrorists through Afghanistan headed for Europe and the Americas to perpetrate a second edition of 9/11 after racing through our open borders. Their alarming numbers are off the charts of the intelligence community. Muslim terrorism is at our doorstep, but why does the Arab world not speak?
The Palestinian issue has overstayed its welcome. Hamas’ leadership and Iran frown on peace. They crave power and are enraged that Israel has taken their power away forever. For Hamas, the Palestinian people who voted them into power are expendable poker chips in the propaganda war. The Palestinian leadership urged on by Iran are indifferent to the deaths, destruction and disease inflicted on 2.3 million Palestinian civilians brought on by Hamas.
Palestinian leaders summon the Arab world’s support, but all that is returned is radio silence. The carnage in Gaza is horrific and hard to watch, but the fault lies with Hamas, not Israel. Spectators in Washington and Democratic-controlled cities display faux outrage at Israel, hoping to attract votes. The game won’t work. Billions of dollars of weapons continue to be transferred to Israel without conditions. Israel’s famed precision strikes at Hamas leaders in Lebanon and Iran minimize collateral damage or civilian deaths. Indeed, the IDF deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for its unprecedented humanity in wartime.
The complexion of the Gaza conflict is evolving toward an unconditional Israeli victory within short weeks or months. Body counts do not lie. One puzzle remaining is Mahmoud Abbas. Have you forgotten? Abbas’ term as head of the Palestinian Authority expired in 2009, but he has lingered on for 15 years for the lack of anything better to do. The world is breathless for his appearance — our deliverance from Palestinian strife. There can be no ceasefire in Gaza until President Abbas surfaces.
Moving on to Ukraine. The other war. Fools in Congress and their financial benefactors, such as defense contractors, are cheering Ukrainian tanks operating inside Russia and gratuitously killing Russians to provoke a retaliatory tactical nuclear strike against American soldiers taxing Veterans Affairs’ hospitals with the wounded. The Ukraine war was preventable. It did not start with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. It did not start with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It started years ago when the United States encircled Russia with new NATO members softly urging regime change against President Vladimir Putin. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a clear case of self-defense like America’s response to Pearl Harbor. Putin is no dodo. He is reaping a huge propaganda victory over the United States with his Ukraine invasion, winning key friends like China, North Korea, Myanmar, Iran, India and South Africa.
Money drives conflict, and arms manufacturers and defense contractors reap jumbo profits. But who pays? American families whose children fight these stupid, preventable wars. If you are worried, you should be.
Armstrong Williams (www.armstrongwilliams.com; @arightside) is a political analyst, syndicated columnist and owner of the broadcasting company, Howard Stirk Holdings. He is also part owner of The Baltimore Sun.