WASHINGTON - Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX), of the House Armed Services Committee, previewed tomorrow's full committee hearing titled "U.S. Policy and Strategy in the Middle East."
Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX), of the House Armed Services Committee, previewed tomorrow's full committee hearing titled "U.S. Policy and Strategy in the Middle East."
"The Committee meets tomorrow to hear from the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 'U.S. Policy and Strategy in the Middle East.'
We should acknowledge at the outset that this region is not subject to easy or simple solutions and has bedeviled statesmen of many countries for generations.
Yet, there is a sense that we are at a particularly perilous time and that U.S. policy and strategy are inadequate.
Dr. Henry Kissinger testified earlier this year before our counterparts in the Senate:
'In the Middle East, multiple upheavals are unfolding simultaneously. There is a struggle for power within states; a contest between states; a conflict between ethnic and sectarian groups; and an assault on the international state system.'
President Obama admitted recently that there is not a complete strategy for dealing with ISIS, but others argue that maybe there is actually a strategy at work here – one of 'retrenchment and accommodation,' so that the U.S. plays a lesser role in the Mid East and elsewhere.
I think virtually everyone can agree that 450 more U.S. personnel in Iraq will not turn the tide against ISIS. Very concerning to me are recent press reports that in the midst of negotiations to remove sanctions related to its nuclear program, Iran continues to pay and equip the Taliban in Afghanistan as part of its regional effort to sow instability and harm U.S. interests.
When one factors in the turmoil in Yemen and Syria, the uncertainty about the future direction of Turkey, the doubts about us from traditional allies such as Egypt and the Gulf nations, as well as the continuing threats to our ally Israel, the plain hard facts show that the situation in the Middle East has deteriorated substantially in the last six years. What’s worse, there seems to be nothing coming from the White House to change the trajectory.
We cannot expect our distinguished witnesses today to answer for all of the failures of the Administration’s approach to the Middle East over the last six years. We can and should expect to hear, however, the military component of a strategy to reverse this deteriorating trend and to protect American interests.
My view is that there is no substitute for American leadership in the Middle East or anywhere else. That does not mean it is up to us to solve age-old disputes, but it does mean we cannot afford – for our own sake – to stand back. We must be strong, and we must be credible."
