{"id":2141365,"date":"2024-01-05T13:45:03","date_gmt":"2024-01-05T18:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/middle-east-aflame-because-iran-thinks-biden-is-mush-retired-centcom-commander-argues\/"},"modified":"2024-01-05T13:48:08","modified_gmt":"2024-01-05T18:48:08","slug":"middle-east-aflame-because-iran-thinks-biden-is-mush-retired-centcom-commander-argues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/middle-east-aflame-because-iran-thinks-biden-is-mush-retired-centcom-commander-argues\/","title":{"rendered":"Retired CENTCOM Commander claims Middle East in turmoil as Iran dismisses Biden as weak"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmiddle-east-aflame-because-iran-thinks-biden-is-mush-retired-centcom-commander-argues%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2141365&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Retired\u2063 General Claims Biden \u200dAdministration \u200cHas Failed to\u200b Deter Iran<\/h2>\n<div>\n<figure><figcaption>(Kevin Dietsch\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>In \u2064an article published in the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> on Thursday, retired\u200b Marine general\u2062 Kenneth McKenzie argued\u200c that President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration has squandered the \u2063deterrence against Iran \u200cestablished under former president\u200b Donald \u200dTrump.<\/p>\n<p>According\u200c to McKenzie, Iranian leaders\u200c follow Lenin&#8217;s \u200ddictum of\u200d &#8220;you probe with bayonets: if you find mush, you push. If you find steel, you withdraw.&#8221;\u200b He believes that Tehran and its proxies continue to press their attacks because \u200dthey haven&#8217;t encountered a strong\u200d response.<\/p>\n<p>McKenzie, who led \u200bCENTCOM from 2019 to 2022, highlights\u200c the \u200dkilling \u2064of military commander Qassem Soleimani in\u2064 January 2020 as a key factor in deterring\u200b Iran from further\u200d coordinating strikes on American assets and allies in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>However, he emphasizes that establishing\u200b and maintaining deterrence requires both \u200dwill and capability. McKenzie asserts that \u200bthe U.S. needs to \u200bapply violence that Tehran understands in order\u2064 to reset deterrence, \u200beven if it may have been more effective to do \u200bso\u200d earlier on a smaller scale.<\/p>\n<p>McKenzie also stresses\u200b the importance of a forceful response to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, as it not only addresses\u2063 the disruption of\u2062 passage between the\u200d Red Sea and the Gulf\u2063 of Aden but also sends\u2063 a message \u200bto China, who is\u200b closely \u200bobserving\u2063 the situation \u200bin Taiwan.<\/p>\n<p>As the Biden \u2064administration considers its response, McKenzie urges the U.S. to set aside the fear of escalation and act according to strategic priorities.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, a U.S. strike killed a militia leader in Iraq, marking\u200c the most forceful response from the Biden administration after numerous attacks on American troops\u200d by Iranian proxies in the region.<\/p>\n<p>While Biden has\u2062 refrained from striking the Houthi group in\u2064 Yemen, critics \u2064argue\u200b that the administration&#8217;s response to \u2062Iranian \u200cproxies \u2063has been inconsequential and insufficient.<\/p>\n<p>The editors of the <em>Washington Free Beacon<\/em> wrote in\u2062 early December that the Biden administration must choose between enabling Iran&#8217;s aggression\u2062 or \u2064reasserting American strength in the face of a \u2064teetering international order.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u2064What concerns has General McKenzie expressed about the current administration&#8217;s approach to Iran?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  President Donald Trump. General McKenzie, who served as the commander of U.S. Central Command from 2019 \u200dto 2021, expressed concern over the current administration&#8217;s approach to Iran\u2064 and its failure to effectively deter the country&#8217;s aggressive behavior in the region.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>McKenzie asserted \u200cthat the Biden administration&#8217;s decision to engage in negotiations with Iran without first establishing a \u2062strong deterrent posture has undermined U.S. credibility and emboldened\u2062 Iran to pursue its destabilizing activities. He argued that the \u200dTrump administration&#8217;s &#8220;maximum pressure&#8221; campaign, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-ukraine-crisis-is-a-wake-up-call-for-taiwan-and-japan\/\" title=\"The Ukraine Crisis Is A Wake-up Call For Taiwan And Japan\">imposed economic sanctions<\/a> and\u200d withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, had effectively curbed Iran&#8217;s malign activities and forced it to negotiate a more favorable agreement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>According to McKenzie, the current approach of the Biden administration has weakened the leverage that the United States had previously held \u2062over Iran. He claimed \u200bthat instead of using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iran-has-made-80-billion-in-illicit-oil-sales-since-biden-took-office\/\" title=\"Iran's illicit oil sales have reached  billion since Biden's inauguration.\">economic \u200dsanctions<\/a> and diplomatic pressure as tools to deter Iran, the Biden administration has prioritized reentering the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>McKenzie highlighted Iran&#8217;s\u200d provocative actions in the region,\u2064 such as the recent attack on an Israeli-owned ship and the ongoing support for proxy militias in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. He argued that these actions demonstrate Iran&#8217;s intent to continue \u2063its aggressive \u200dbehavior despite the \u200cchange in U.S. administrations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The retired general criticized the Biden administration&#8217;s reluctance to respond\u2063 forcefully to Iran&#8217;s provocations, stating that this lack of action sends a dangerous message to both Iran and U.S. allies in\u2063 the Middle\u200b East. He emphasized the need for the United States to maintain a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-call-on-congress-to-ratchet-up-wholly-inadequate-funding-for-china-defense\/\" title=\"Republicans call on Congress to ratchet up 'wholly inadequate' funding for China defense\">credible deterrent posture<\/a> in order to \u2063protect its interests and ensure the stability of\u200d the region.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>McKenzie also expressed \u2063concern over the potential impact of the Biden administration&#8217;s push to reenter the JCPOA. He\u200b argued that rejoining the deal without addressing Iran&#8217;s other destabilizing activities\u200b would simply \u200bprovide the country with\u200b economic relief and allow it to continue its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-blasted-for-appeasement-and-attempts-to-negotiate-with-terrorist-organizations\/\" title=\"Biden criticized for 'appeasement' and engaging with 'terrorist groups'\">aggressive behavior unchecked<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>In conclusion, General McKenzie&#8217;s article emphasizes the importance of a \u200bstrong deterrent posture in dealing with Iran. He criticizes the Biden administration for prioritizing negotiations over deterrence and argues that this approach\u200d has allowed Iran to become more emboldened in its aggressive actions. \u2064The retired general urges the \u2062administration to reconsider its\u2064 strategy and\u200b adopt a more robust approach to dealing with Iran&#8217;s destabilizing activities\u200d in \u2062the region.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Retired Marine general Kenneth McKenzie claims that President Biden&#8217;s administration has undermined the deterrence against Iran, as established by Donald Trump. In the Wall Street Journal, McKenzie highlights Iran&#8217;s strategy of probing with aggression and retreating when faced with strength, emphasizing the need for a firm stance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2112,"featured_media":2141366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2141365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2141365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2112"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2141365"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2141365\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2141366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2141365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2141365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2141365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}