The Biden administration's Middle East policies and weakness have left U.S. troops as "sitting ducks" overseas, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie tells Newsmax, after at least five American service members were injured in an apparent rocket strike at an airbase in Iraq on Monday.
"Well, I think that the Biden administration has laid the ground for this," Wilkie said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America" on Tuesday. "Let's look at what's on the ground in the Middle East. We have 2,500 troops in Iraq. We have 4,000 in Jordan and 900 in Syria. And that doesn't include what we have in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden."
Meanwhile, the Houthis, the Iranian proxies, have attacked American ships, pointed out Wilkie.
"They've killed international sailors last night," he said. "They attacked the Iranian proxies, attacked our base. We did nothing."
The administration, Wilkie added, is "very proud" of how it destroyed some unmanned vehicles.
"This has been happening since Oct. 7," he said. "We've had almost 200 attacks, none of which have been responded to by this administration. Our people are sitting ducks, and the Iranians, of course, see this as signs of continuing weakness" from President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the administration.
It also sets the stage for "greater danger" when America "withdraws and refuses to protect its own people," said Wilkie. "Everything is on the table in that region."
The Biden administration is also trying to keep Israel from defending itself against the Iranian threat, said Wilkie.
"Everything that I've seen and the people I've talked to are discussing the possibility of a simultaneous attack from Hezbollah and Iran," he said. "This is more of the insanity from this national security team to discourage the Israelis from launching a preemptive attack."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown he won't listen to Biden's entreaties, he added.
"He will not put his country in danger because of the fecklessness of the Biden/Harris national security team," said Wilkie.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on all parties to refrain from escalating tensions, but Wilkie said that if the Iranians launch missiles, the United States and Great Britain, along with other nations, will help Israel.
"The Saudi crown prince has told the Iranians anything that crosses our border will be shot down," said Wilkie. "Of course, the Saudis don't want to rely on any promises from this administration either."
He further commented that the Biden White House policy on the Middle East is a "continuation" of the policies of former President Barack Obama.
"They believe that their soft words can bring the theocratic fanatics into the mainstream of the world order," he said. "Whenever they talk about defending Israel, they're even starting on the wrong foot. The message here should be to deter Iran."
Former President Donald Trump, he added, "broke the Iranians by telling them we can attack you any time we want to."
Trump also broke the Iranian economy, he said, but under Biden "they are now exporting over a million barrels a day. That's more than they exported when the Shah was in power in the 1960s and 1970s … this administration has backed off and allowed the Iranians to regain their power and regain their economic clout. And what are they using it for? They're using it to supply Hamas and Hezbollah."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com