Israel-Hamas War (Part 5): Why Biden Should Consider Stronger Retaliation Against Iran
History shows strong retaliation deters terrorism, whereas appeasement only shows weakness and emboldens the enemy.
It has been said that war is hell. Yet appeasement of terrorism and authoritarian regimes can result in more war, not less — and, thus, more hell. History has proven this point repeatedly.
President Joe Biden finds the USA mired in a major foreign policy crisis in the Middle East, a crisis caused and carried out at the direction of the Islamic Republic of Iran via its terrorist militant proxies.
And while Biden deserves credit for ordering any military retaliation against Iranian proxy militias, these limited strikes in Syria and Iraq have failed to deter Iran SO FAR.
Let’s see if yesterday’s military retaliation finally serves the deterrent purpose that President Biden seeks. This means that Iran MUST stop attacking American troops in the region. It should ALSO mean that Iran orders Hamas to surrender immediately and unconditionally — although it’s doubtful that will happen any time soon, unless or until the Israel Defense Forces complete their stated mission of eradicating Hamas from Gaza.
Iran’s malicious conduct is evidenced by very recent ongoing attacks against American troops to date— not to mention continued support and funding for Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and anti-American terrorists generally.
Moreover, Hamas is still holding over 200 hostages, including Americans and other nationalities. We don’t appear to know whether these hostages are dead or alive.
“Pin Prick” Retaliation
The latest of these so-called “pin prick” retaliatory measures occurred Sunday, as reported by major news media.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement, “U.S. military forces conducted precision strikes today on facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran-affiliated groups in response to continued attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria. The strikes were conducted against a training facility and a safe house near the cities of Albu Kamal and Mayadeen, respectively.”
He added: “The president has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests.”
The Guardian newspaper reported: “The U.S. says the strikes are aimed at deterring attacks on American forces in Iraq and Syria that have surged in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. The U.S. says there have been more than 45 attacks on its troops in the region since 17 October, wounding dozens of US personnel.”
The UK media outlet further reported, “According to the Pentagon, about 56 U.S. personnel have been injured in the attacks. Their injuries ranged from traumatic brain injury to minor wounds.” (bold added for emphasis)
Iran’s Hostile Foreign Policy
It’s worth noting and comprehending exactly what Iran’s foreign policy is towards America. Consider that Iran supports the following, as reported by the Pentagon and news media (whether implicitly, explicitly or surreptitiously):
- “Wiping Israel off the map” — and, in so doing, create another Holocaust for the Jewish people, albeit in the modern high-tech 21st century.
- Directing catastrophic terrorism against the USA — which might eclipse that of 9/11 and include war crimes by using crude chemical and biological weapons. Iran may even consider the detonation of a very small “dirty bomb” nuclear device — via proxy terrorist militants — in a major American city or other population center.
- Launching a worldwide radical extremist Islamic caliphate (or Holy Jihad war) — starting in the Middle East, but ultimately spreading to Europe, the USA, our global allies, as well as other countries or geographic regions (and likely including some NATO members, perhaps with the exception of Turkey — but maybe not).
Major Retaliation Consideration
Now, it’s way past time for the USA to send an unmistakable message to Iran in order to quell their endless terrorist conduct, which is at the roots of Israel’s war with Hamas. But these “pin prick” strikes have failed to deter Iran so far from further attacks on U.S. soldiers.
Will this time be any different?
If history has taught us anything, it is this:
Retaliation deters terrorism, whereas appeasement demonstrates weakness.
Nowhere is this truer than in the volatile Middle East, where “might make right” because anti-American authoritarian regimes rule the day. The longer the USA waits before more forcefully striking back against Iran directly, the more Iranian-sponsored terrorism will likely continue against:
- American troops in the region,
- and/or Israel,
- and/or the U.S. homeland,
- and/or American embassies,
- and/or other U.S. allies and interests globally.
Is the current military posture really the best deterrence strategy, especially considering the amount of American firepower sent to the region?
I’m sure the Pentagon has drawn up at least a dozen other options for America to send an unmistakable message to Iran, the entire Middle East, and to the world — including China and North Korea, as well as dictatorships and terrorists in Africa and South America, all of which are closely watching what we do.
Will Iran pay a steeper price for American blood on its hands, or will our current posture be referred to by historians as the Biden Wimp Doctrine?
Iran Calling the Shots
It’s no surprise that Iran detests the United States and seeks to undermine us at every turn. That’s why being more proactive militarily is worth serious consideration if the latest deterrent action fails to actually deter Iran.
But despite the limited retaliatory strikes that Biden has ordered thus far, Iran remains at the steering wheel.
For years, Iran has done everything in its power to jeopardize U.S. national security by supporting and directing terrorism against the American people, as well as our allies and interests worldwide.
Thus, it’s questionable whether Biden’s strategy of mild deterrence will work this time. The United States — not Iran — needs to call the shots, and we should no longer allow the Islamic Republic of Iran to dictate the course of events.
It should be clear that Biden’s weak deterrence strategy against Iran has proven ineffective by further emboldening the Islamic Republic to keep targeting U.S. troops at their whim. Enough is enough already!
Iran as the Real Enemy
The solution to curbing Middle East terrorism generally — and that directed specifically by Iran — may not be best served by the current approach. Rather, some argue the solution is not through what Iran may perceive as concessions or appeasement, especially compared to what the U.S. military is capable of carrying out.
As Michael Makovsky, PhD, who is president and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), recently wrote (article below):
“Everything in the Middle East changed on 10/7, except President Biden’s Iran policy. Biden needs to revamp his Iran policy, making regime collapse his strategic aim — applying pressure on all fronts to heighten the regime’s internal stress and hasten the Iranian people overthrowing it.”
He added: “In the near term, [Biden] needs to signal to Iran the party is over. He has to hit back at Iran hard for its attacks on U.S. forces and signal he is prepared to hit back far harder.”
“Iran doesn’t want a serious conflict with the United States.” — Michael Makovsky, JINSA CEO
Final Thoughts
A considerably stronger use of force against Iran might prove a more effective way to flex America’s military muscle, quell the fighting, and then proactively push for a 2-state solution to resolve the vexing Israeli-Palestinian conflict (through intense diplomatic and multi-lateral negotiations).
It’s up to Biden to demonstrate real leadership as commander-in-chief, to more effectively address the worsening situation precipitated by Iran in the Israel-Hamas war — in addition to causing all kinds of trouble in the Middle East region at large, more generally.
It’s no coincidence that Iran directed Hamas to wage war on Israel at a time when the Jewish State was reportedly close to a historic peace agreement with Saudi Arabia — which has now been scuttled.
We should not allow the Islamic Republic of Iran to dictate how events unfold. That shows weakness, not strength. And weakness, whether real or perceived, leads to more violence and more deadly results for American forces in the Middle East, as well as for Israel and potentially other U.S. allies.
The bottom line is that strong retaliation deters terrorism and tyranny, especially in the volatile Middle East. This cannot be repeated enough.
When will the USA finally learn the vital lessons of history regarding war and peace? Will America wait until devastating enemy attacks and/or terrorism come to the homeland, like at Pearl Harbor during WWII or 9/11 more than two decades ago?
Stringent retaliation brings results, while appeasement and concessions do not. Hopefully, President Biden will more acutely assess the lessons of history and act accordingly.
Otherwise, America will likely remain at Iran’s mercy — which should not be a viable option.
What do YOU think?
This is the latest installment of an ongoing series. Thank you in advance for your valuable engagement and comments. You may find Parts 1–4 on my profile page.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: To those of you who are copied below, I would appreciate your engagement with this post — as you have provided valuable engagement already with prior installments of this series. Please comment, share, clap, etc. Thanks so much. Let’s keep this important conversation going, all views are welcomed...
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