By Noah Rothman
Thursday,
January 18, 2024
On
Thursday, Joe Biden assured reporters that his belated,
reluctant effort to impose some prudence on the Houthi terrorist sect by force
has so far been a failure.
It’s
not exactly comforting to hear the commander in chief of the armed forces
explain that the strategy to which he has committed the military is not
working. It’s only marginally more disconcerting for him to insist in the same
breath that he’s fully committed to what he has just admitted is a failure.
If
the president’s assessment of the four retaliatory strikes on Houthi positions
is that they have failed to restore deterrence in the Red Sea, reasonable
observers might conclude that the president would change his approach and
perhaps shift gears toward a more effective strategy. Those same reasonable
observers might also conclude that, if the president remains committed to what
he admits is a failure, failure is the goal.
Biden
is facing a nascent backlash from members of his own party who view his
weakness on the world stage as a provocation abroad and a political liability
at home. Statements like these give them zero cover. If these Democrats are
serious, they will step up their criticism until Biden demonstrates some
resolve to protect international shipping from this ragtag band of pirates and
thugs. If they don’t, the blame for the embarrassment to which Biden is
committing the United States will fall on their shoulders too.
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