I was in the middle of a combat deployment to the Middle East in 2012 when our embassy in Benghazi was attacked and our ambassador was killed. That event had a terrible effect on U.S. standing and troop morale — if an ambassador was expendable, ordinary soldiers like myself could be sacrificed without hesitation. Projecting weakness and “leading from behind” has never been a good foreign policy strategy.
Unfortunately, the current administration has doubled down on projecting weakness.
President Joe Biden’s foreign policy, characterized by inconsistency and indecision, raises serious concerns about our commitment to safeguarding American interests and our role as a global leader. From inconsistently handling the situation in Israel to its response to Russian aggression, the Biden administration has failed to demonstrate the strategic clarity and resolve necessary for effective leadership.
The Afghanistan withdrawal in August of 2021 telegraphed to our foreign adversaries Biden’s indecisiveness. Thirteen American service members and 170 Afghan civilians perished in a suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport. Emboldened by that disaster, our enemies have shown nothing but a willingness to continue attacks on U.S. troops in theaters across the globe. The administration’s failure to plan and execute a coherent withdrawal strategy not only resulted in unnecessary loss of life but also severely damaged U.S. credibility and alliances.
Biden’s foreign policy weakness became obvious last March, when United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield abstained from voting on U.N. Security Council Resolution 2728, which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution — passed without U.S. opposition — failed to condemn Hamas for its October 7 massacre or tie the ceasefire to the release of hostages (a prior U.S. demand). Less than a decade after the Global War on Terror’s end, the world now knows the White House can’t even stand up to terrorist organizations. This further undermined our credibility and gave our allies another demonstration of what a “lead from behind strategy” looks like.
Biden’s weakness was apparent in May, when he made the decision to cut off precision munitions to Israel. This decision, predicated on concerns over potential civilian casualties, ironically increased the likelihood of such casualties by depriving Israel of the precision munitions that would ensure greater accuracy and minimize collateral damage. This move not only undercut Israel’s ability to defend itself but also marked an unprecedented betrayal of our closest ally in the region.
Moreover, the administration’s response to Iranian aggression has been alarmingly passive. Despite Iran’s partners in terror carrying out over 170 attacks on U.S. military bases and assets in Syria, Iraq, and claiming the lives of three US soldiers in Jordan, President Biden has only authorized four retaliatory counterattacks. This permissive approach has emboldened further attacks on our service members and weakened our deterrence posture in the region.
The failure to deter Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is another significant blunder. After withholding military aid, refusing to sanction Nord Stream 2, and signaling that a “minor incursion” would face limited blowback, the administration’s diplomatic overtures to Moscow were disregarded and Russia launched its war against Ukraine. This failure to prevent one of the most significant wars of conquest on the European continent since 1945 is a stark indictment of the administration’s foreign policy strategy.
The good news? Just as bad decision-making, a hollowed-out military, and “leading from behind” has put America’s security at risk and generated conflict and chaos around the world, fresh leadership can turn things around and create a more stable world and promote American security. It’s time for a new generation of leaders — many of whom came of age during the Global War on Terror — to reaffirm our commitment to a safe, strong, and secure America. Only then will the freedom that began on July 4, 1776, be preserved and protected for another generation.
Gabe Evans spent twelve years in the U.S. Army and Colorado Army National Guard as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot and company commander. He completed a combat deployment to the Middle East and responded to wildfires and search and rescues throughout Colorado. He also spent over ten years as an Arvada police officer, where he witnessed, first-hand, the consequences of Colorado Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies.