Biden praised Austin Stein for “the moment we need that guy,” and other retired Forstar generals praised the “brilliant choice,” but critics ask whether the former commander-in-chief has the political will to fight the military budget cut.
They are discussing Instein’s suitability for a role on the world stage and wondering if his experience has helped him cope with increasingly fierce China, develop new tools in cyber combat and other areas, and help the U.S.
All of those questions are expected to make the confirmation of the 40-year-old Army Pte decor a challenging hearing. In Stein he will probably face these doubts even earlier, as he will meet with legislators next week and the Biden team forced disgruntled members of Congress to pardon the recently retired general for serving in civic leadership positions.
Speaking Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware, Austin Stein said he “understands the important role of the Department of Defense and the role it plays in maintaining stability and preventing aggression and defending and supporting critical engagement around the world.”
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was offered ringing support for the 67-year-old nominee.
Beden “is making a great choice to appoint General Lloyd Austin as the next Secretary of Defense,” Powell said in a statement, adding that he had guided Austin during his military career. “General Aust Stein has served enthusiastically at all combat and civilian levels in the Armed Forces. He has demonstrated his combat skills and his bureaucratic, diplomatic and political skills.” Boden and Austin Stein “will be a great team,” Pode said.
‘Divorce from reality’
Retired General. Tony Thomas, who flew from Iraq to the U.S. Served as deputy commander of the Joint Special Operations Command during the troop withdrawal, he took to Twitter in response to Biden’s op-ed.
“Potts-chosen logic for choice is the ‘successful’ end of the war effort in 2011 ???” Thomas wrote. “Did I dream that Iraq should go back and then add bonus to Syria after 2 years to defeat ISIS?”
“I appreciated Austin’s willingness to take the fight to the enemy,” Carter said, but the plan he presented to me in private was completely unrealistic at the time. ”
Austin Stein’s assessment is also surrounded by public criticism. During a 2015 Senate Armed Services hearing, then-President John McCain objected to Onin’s relatively optimistic approach to the fight against ISIS, despite the group’s large battlefield.
“There has been no dramatic gain from either side,” said Austin Stein, almost a year after ISIS captured Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city.
“I’ve never seen a hearing that’s divorced from the reality of every outside expert and what you say.”
Low profile
At the same hearing, Austin Stein became the public face of the administration’s biggest failures in the fight against ISIS, and Congress acknowledged that the train 500 million dollars program to fight the Syrian terrorist group left only “four or five” fighters.
Outside of congressional appearances, due to Access Stein’s accessibility and his lack of accessibility and transparency, despite being in uniform, he refrained from commenting on the controversial Obama administration’s policies, but critics say he has been left undetected by the media’s scrutiny role.
While serving as a top military officer overseeing the Middle East, Austin spoke to the media, unlike his predecessors or successors, who took reporters with them during visits to various campaign theaters – moves to help raise public awareness of the mission.
Austin has maintained a similar low profile in retirement. During Wednesday’s presentation, neither the President-elect, nor the Vice-President-elect, nor Austin raised any questions through the media.
This may provide an opportunity to allay public concerns that Austin does not have the background to handle the biggest security challenges facing the U.S., especially China.
“Their experience in fighting insurgents and terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan is largely counter-productive and inconsistent in defeating close allies if necessary,” said Maestro, whose research focuses on China’s military and security policy.
The Biden national security team stressed the importance of rebuilding alliances to meet challenges from China, Russia and Iran and to face international threats such as climate change. “I firmly believe that, as you have said before, sir, America is the strongest when it comes to working with its allies,” Austin told Biden in Wilmington on Wednesday.
But many analysts say President Donald Trump’s first U.S. policy and the last four years of political turmoil have left the U.S. as a diplomatic and military partner. Has seriously undermined the trust of allies.
“There is a perception among allies and partners that the U.S. defense strategy will become increasingly handicapped by institutional disability, political / social polarization, the growing gap between policymakers’ views and the role of the U.S. military in the world.” Said Franz-Stephen Gaddy.
Eric Edelman, a former assistant secretary of defense for policy, said Austin would have to deal with all of that when he faced reduced budgets due to Covid-related spending and pressure from progressives in the Democratic Party. Defense.
“That would make the strategic challenge very great for him,” said Adrelman, now a consultant at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
Edelman said the military budget grew modestly in the first three years of the Trump administration, barely 3%, and actually fell about 1.7% this year.
“Against President Trump’s opposition to his rebuilding of the military, what he did was buy back some of the readiness lost in the decade of cutbacks.” “Filling the gap between operational challenges is nowhere near where we can face tonight, while at the same time, investing in future capabilities that will take five, 10, 15 years to develop.”
Those capabilities include cyber, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, missile defense and space technology in which China is paying money. “All of those things are going to be important,” Edelman said. “How do you do that if your budget is declining, invest in all those capabilities and maintain the ability to fight today?” He asked.
Damaged organization
Gaddy said Austin would also face pressure as a result of the Covid-19.
Gavi said Kovid has contributed to the growing amount of government debt and the payment of interest will “affect the defense budget and prudent spending in one way or another.”
Gaddy added, “Both the political and military culture of the U.S. is built on the idea of an abundance of resources that can be thrown at any problem,” Gaddy added, “so Covid-19 will strengthen a major cultural shift that the U.S. Need to be. Be competitive like other great power competitors. ”
El Stein “will inherit an organization that has been damaged,” Edelman said.
The report is contributed by CNN’s Jack Tapper.
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