On Jan. 28, three U.S. soldiers were killed and dozens were injured when a drone struck a military outpost in Jordan. The Middle East currently hosts approximately 30,000 U.S. troops, with American military leaders deploying additional forces since the start of the Israel-Hamas War in October 2023.
U.S. troops serve various roles in different countries. In Iraq and Syria, their mission is to “maintain pressure on Iran,” while in Qatar and the U.A.E. — two of America’s key military allies in the Arab world — they maintain a presence primarily to engage as required in regional operations.
Straight Arrow News contributor Dr. Rashad Richey says the US must reassess its flawed foreign policies. He asserts that America’s involvement in ongoing international conflicts like the current Israel-Hamas War is a direct result of these “fragmented” policies.
Let’s broaden the conversation. Because you, me, us, we have a right to say something, You know why? Because our tax dollars, we are forced to fund these wars, we are forced to fund these policies that create wars. There’s a cause and effect relationship as to why there’s a level of escalation. Because we are in the region and our policies are antithetical to the policies of those who are locally in the region.
Now, if we go to tit for tat, meaning we engage in warfare, that’s making effect go against effect. You’re dealing with effect only now but you’re not dealing with the cause. The cause of this is our occupation in foreign territory. The cause of this is our fragmented international policy as it relates to conflict, resources, democracy — allegedly — and many other things.
Understanding a thing from its core is the best way to move forward. Because if we engage in war — which by the way, most Americans say they have no appetite for that, regardless of Democrat, Republican or independent, most Americans do not want a war, and I agree — in order to understand this new level of thinking, you must go to the cause. You got to go to the genesis of it. And if Biden or old-guard Republicans cannot understand this, from that very simple premise, wars are in our future. New leadership, or at least new thinking in old leadership, has to rise.
