(Wars (and rumors of Wars)

{(Wars (and rumors of Wars)}

When the news if the Hamas attack into Israel, these pages were otherwise occupied. The initial entry involved the Ukraine War and of the possibility that American support might cease with a change in Republican leadership on Capitol Hill. The advice given was to negotiate a cease fire which from the Ukrainian point of view, was in their strongest position on the battlefield. Then came the news from Israel. The latest accounting is that there are now over six hundred Israeli fatalities and the tactics being employed by Hamas this time are reminiscent of the brutality of ISIS. And while the goal of this campaign is to destroy the State of Israel, this can be considered the greatest attempt to make that a reality.

This is a diplomatic crisis and the one in the White House is singerly not qualified to deal with it. President Biden predictably condemned the Hamas action but has no indication as what an his response might be. There has been some reporting that Americans have been killed. With the situation as such. one can trace the genesis of the current calamity.

Unlike Ukraine, Israel has a close affinity for the U,S. The Jewish population in this country runs into the millions and have waged considerable political power over the years. As a consequence, there has never been any thought of abandoning the Jewish state. So, now that Israel is again in need, and there is a real possibility that this could escalate into a theater-wide conflict, eventually involving Iran.

What this latest war represents is the culmination of Biden failures going all the way back to the surrender of Afghanistan and everything that has gone wrong since then. Biden's is a litany of failure and with a new war in the Near East, the diplomatic challenges will only mount. And, the old players are still there, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. What if in the name of that Pan-Arab solidarity those nations begin to intervene also ?

Whether it wants to or not, if the defense of Israel is deemed to be in the national interest, the Administration will need to develop a response. But, if said response is to be by Secretary Blinken, or for that matter, President Biden, rank amateurs. . .