Some days, you feel like saying, “Come on Charlie Brown.” Biden has finally responded to Iran killing US troops in Jordan, launching 85 one-off shots at proxy targets. While some are better than none, birdshot seldom affects a marauding bear, nor a handful of pebbles in a near-nuclear radical Islamic state. Let’s get real.
History teaches deterrence works, but what is deterrence? And how do you do it right? There is the question apparently unstudied by the Biden team. Here is how.
Context: The United States backs Israel, which aims to end Hamas, an Iranian-supported terror group sworn to destroy Israel. Hamas attacked Israel, with Iran’s support, on October 7, 2023. Israel retaliated, going into Gaza. Innocents on both sides have died in large numbers. Iran does not care.
Iran supports Hezbollah, a terror group in Lebanon – thousands of missiles. Iran supports the Houthi rebels, the terror group in Yemen, Zaidi Shia, and Shiite Muslims.
After Hamas attacked Israel and Israel responded in Gaza, Arab countries sought a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees. The UN added its voice. Biden, ignored, added his. Iran does not care.
Actually, this is exactly what Iran wanted. The US and Israel are isolated, and Europe and others assessing Israel’s actions under the Geneva Conventions. Biden, who arguably precipitated this war by appeasing Iran, seems unable to be cogent.
Iran sees all this, sees its moment. Surrogates in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, keep hitting Israel with rockets, targeting US bases in Iraq, Syria, and now Jordan, attacking ships in the Red Sea, a transit channel for 10 percent of world trade.
The region is filled with Iran’s live fire from Iraq, Syria, Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen. US bases continue to be hit, US warships are forcing down Iranian drones, and insurers no longer want to cover shipping through the Red Sea, raising costs.
All this is bad enough, and should have led to a fast response, but no. While seeking a ceasefire, Biden should have hit Iran’s Navy and proxies months ago. He did not.
Eventually, Biden’s team sent warplanes and missiles to hit Houthi strongholds, scattered targets allegedly tied to Iran’s IRGC Quds Group, but weeks late and after giving them all warning. By that time, Iran’s chessmen were moving.
Again, the right answer would have been an international coalition to protect the Red Sea last October; they did nothing until January, late and ineffective.
Why? Confusion, unstudied in history, religion, and Iran’s modus operandi, Biden’s team was at a loss.
Not surprisingly, Iran has no respect for Biden, counts him a fool, and plays him like Lucy playing Charlie Brown with the football. Iran eggs Biden on, embarrasses him, pulls the ball, and does it again.
Change: Late January, things changed materially – Iran got ambitious and Biden’s unprepared defense team was lazy. Iran hit Americans and killed them in a friendly Jordan. With impunity, Iran killed three innocent American service members.
Iran’s surrogates gloated. Iran told Biden there was no connection. Biden delayed, said he does “not want war with Iran,” gave Iran a warning, hit 85 empty targets, minimal value, minimal impact. Iran shrugged.
What a contrast. Almost 20 years ago, my job for Colin Powell was to set up a training base for allied personnel in Jordan. If Iran had hit that base, all hell would have broken loose.
Almost 40 years ago, Iran hit tankers and a US Navy ship in the Persian Gulf. President Reagan promptly sank Iran’s armed platforms, a dozen ships, with no apology.
A reporter, Sam Donaldson or Helen Thomas, asked if this meant we were “at war” with Iran. Reagan almost chucked. “No, they would not be that stupid.”
Reagan silenced Iran, stunned them, with no hesitation or warning, high impact. They did not restart their antics for years, pulled back, and concluded the Iran-Iraq war.
So, what should have happened? War? No, not necessary. Biden – whose team fumbled the ball, missed the drone that killed US troops, sent birdshot into the field, hoping it might scare Iran. Not likely.
Biden should have sunk the rogue Iranian destroyer coordinating terror acts from the Red Sea, then hit senior IRGC leaders, the evil hearts behind the attacks.
He should have immediately deployed a second carrier strike group to the region, parked it in the Gulf, and lit up the sky. He should have flipped the US switch on to OCO – Offensive Cyber Operations, and used them with focus and discretion.
As he opened the OCO aperture, he should have ramped up DCO – Defensive Cyber Operations – with advanced planning, predicting what Iran and China will do. He should have given no warning to Iran – or China – of any of this, just done it.
To block kinetic threats, he should redouble ballistic missile defenses, add funding to the supplemental bill pending in Congress, be bipartisan, and just do it.
Finally, he should have swiftly spoken from the Oval, no cards, all heart. He should have reviewed how Reagan, Eisenhower, and Kennedy responded to such events.
He should have launched, had an impact, then said: “Iran, jig is up. Back off or we take out leadership chains, more ships, forcibly shut down your nuclear program, and fully support other Arab countries and the world.”
So, there it is. Did Biden focus on key targets, have a plan, launch fast, no warning, register impact? No. Iran deterred? No. Some days, you feel like saying, “Come on Charlie Brown.”
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC.
RBC, as this nation has seen from the beginning of this administration, that it hasn’t a clue as to how to respond to any worldly crisis. Probably that this administration is following the orders of the controllers over Pres. Biden, then again, the nation has a president that should be under care in a rest home. VP Harris is totally worthless. So as you have stated, the nation and its current leadership (?) will continue to have egg thrown on our face. Will the nation be able to recover? Only time will tell especially at the upcoming polls and if the voters will elect qualified representatives.
Well RBC, this is all consistent with how Biden and most Democrat politicians in Washington have viewed how to deal with foreign adversaries for decades. So why should the White House’s current response be any different? Biden reluctantly sent a couple of carrier battlegroups and other naval vessels to the area after October 7th NOT to send a very clear and direct message to Iran’s Mullahs and the IRGC and its several proxies to stop the growing terrorist attacks in the region or else face an overwhelming response, but simply instead chooses to parade the ships back and forth while he and his administration issued half-hearted and feckless warnings like “Don’t” several times. Of course, Biden has since redeployed much of those naval assets elsewhere, after he didn’t get the political boost in the polls that he and his administration were looking for. Still, we have more than enough assets in the area to send a clear and decisive response to both Iran and its proxy forces, if we didn’t have such a weak administration in D.C.
Now after 3 troops have been killed, 2 Navy seals lost at sea and several dozen American troops in the region have been severely injured in more than 180 attacks, what we have is an administration that tells the enemy forces ahead of time its planned responses, to allow them to evacuate personnel and armaments from intended targets. So, we are effectively just blowing up mostly empty warehouses in the desert and expecting this doesn’t convey a message of ineptitude and weakness to people that want to kill as many Americans as possible.
I only disagree with you on one point. Charlie Brown actually tries to seriously kick the football each and every time. Joe Biden on the other hand, has no real interest in trying to kick anything. He doesn’t even like having to show up on the field and pretend to be interested in what he is supposed to do. All he wants is the title of President of the United States and all the chocolate chip ice cream he can get on the taxpayers’ dollar, as he lounges at his Delaware beach house and Jill tells him he is the greatest President since FDR.
I have memories of an aspirin factor being bombed and some democrat president calling it a success. Here we go again. Keep showing weakness while poking at it with a little stick and soon enough we will be in the middle of a full blown world war 3. Which of course Biden will claim is Trump’s fault.
Have you folks heard the word SEDITION? Check your dictionary. Obama, Soros, Biden and several hundred bureaucrats are guilty of sedition and should be held accountable.
Biden’s foreign policy record has been atrocious, all of his Senate stances as well as when VP for Barak Hussein. Obama more than likely calling shots for the Iran response. Hand and hand with the Mullahs through and through. What a sad state we are in right now with this administration.
With biden the first question asked always is ‘who is he beholden to’ when considering any international issue. Since the man is devoid of integrity the reasons must be sought in areas other than the good of the country. After fifty yrs of grifting the list of ‘business partners’ must be quite extensive.
Irans’ attack by proxy on our ally in Israel gives us the perfect excuse to launch an aerial attack on their nuclear bases BEFORE they produce a nuclear bomb. Of course Obama and Biden have been a dollar short and a day late on all their military exercises, so don’t expect it to happen any time soon.
Charlie Brown? More like an Alfred E Newman “What Me Worry?” world and domestic policy. When he talks, you can hear “splork! splork!” of the mental gears grinding…
Biden has never had the ability to deal with world crisis as evident during his years as a Senator. He’s like a dog who reacts to threats by cowering with its tail between its legs. He has failed the American people in every way, but it would definitely be nice if the military advisors would point him in the right direction and push to defend America and its allies before we really are in the middle of WW III!
A further Charlie Brown reference would be no matter how many times Lucy does it, the football gets jerked and Charlie gets played. By waffling then broadcasting intentions, all bad guys and proxies simply took the day off and, at best, empty buildings get blown up. The football is jerked, Biden ends up flat on his back, and Tehran Lucy staggers away laughing.
President Biden is totally incapable of conceiving or doing the effective things Mr Charles is recommending.
Biden, et al are total failures and will continue to (purposely?) mishandle these crises, thus making the USA irrelevant. However, there are many people praying, and I do believe that we are going to see Almighty God step in and save Israel! HE is the only one who can do it! Praying always for Israel….
Excellent article. Charlie Brown has an Higher I.Q..
Once again Biden shows his/America’s weakness. The phrase “too little too late comes to mind.” The response should have been swift and overwhelming. To paraphrase a popular comedian “you kill us, we kill you back.”
God only knows what goes on in the minds of these fools in this administration but it is not good. They are purposely trying to destroy this country or are truly stupid. I fear this does not end well.
Totally agree!
Hell yeah, that’s the only way to deal with any
threat to free world!
Wish you were running ops now!
It is frightening to realize that the leadership team (the Commander in Chief in name only) can be so out of touch when the chips are down, so profoundly incompetent.
The November election is far more serious than many can imagine. Those in leadership now simply must be held accountable. Does gross incompetency count for treason?!
The current Progressive Democrat Party is much worse than Lucy for deceiving American citizens.
Biden is compromised due to the fabricated businesses done by his brother and son. This is not to excuse him. Obama being so manipulative against this Republic promoted Biden to run knowing that the enemies of our Republic, such as, China, Iran, Russia, and Syria (All Dictators), along with these corrupt organizations like the WEF, UN and all its subsidiaries, and WHO (just naming a few), we are like sitting ducks. If Congress continues to manipulate the United States citizens and legal residents, we definitely will become a socialistic country. That’s the path we are on!!!!!
ILLEGITIMATE INCOMPETANT INCOHERENT BOOB!
This is like going after the school bully lackeys, not the bully. It doesn’t intimidate the bully, it only emboldened the bully do more bullying. The world knows it Iran sponsoring these attacks. Yet Joey let over 160 attacks happen with no response. What is this administration waiting for? Until Iran gets a nuclear weapon. Iran will use it.
I don’t want to see a wider war but Iran appears to want one. Take out their seaports and cripple their ability to resupply all these terrorist groups. If they respond takeout their oil Interstructure and nuclear sites. I know this will disrupt the oil industry, especially since Joey depleted our oil reserves. This reminds me of Obama’s red line in the sand. By the time Obama left office that red line was in Detroit.
I still do not understand why we have troops in Jordan. What became of that Chinese task force that was floating around somewhere in that area and what do they think of all of this?
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