A loud heckler disrupted a recent event featuring former House Speaker <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/nancy-pelosi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nancy Pelosi</a> (D-CA), shouting at her and calling her a &#8220;warmonger&#8221; and a &#8220;sad old drunk&#8221; before security had him removed from the venue.
The heckler interrupted <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosis-statement-on-trump-really-gives-the-game-away" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pelosi</a>, who was speaking alongside economist Paul Krugman at The City University of New York’s Graduate Center — and accused her of having &#8220;a very bad obsession&#8221; with getting the United States into war.
WATCH:
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“I came to see a warmonger, but you’re a sad old drunk”
“You know Pelosi, that’s a very good place for you in the depths of hell,”
💥Pelosi gets verbally pummeled! Long clip but worth every second!🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/wlnzcxiEyg">pic.twitter.com/wlnzcxiEyg</a>
&mdash; Females For Trump👠 (@FemalesForTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/FemalesForTrump/status/1643749965381115910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;You know Pelosi, that’s a very good place for you, in the depths of hell,&#8221; the heckler began, and continued to shout over the booing crowd as security quickly surrounded him to remove him from the venue.
&#8220;For some reason, you have a very bad obsession of getting us into war. Hey, why is it that you did not admit that there were no WMDs in Iraq? You lied us into a war in Iraq. You got us to invade Afghanistan. Now over 90% of those people are impoverished and are dying,&#8221; he shouted. &#8220;Why don’t you tell the truth about Nordstream? You&#8217;re leaving millions of Germans without energy! You have a knack for getting us into war! People like you should be arrested. You are a war criminal!&#8221;
Pelosi said nothing, sitting calmly on the stage and waiting for the chaos to die down — but another heckler quickly picked up where the first had left off.
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&#8220;Hey, Congresswoman! I came to see a warmonger, but you&#8217;re a sad old drunk. What happened?&#8221; the second protester asked. &#8220;When you went to Taiwan, were you looking for Ukraine? Did we blow up the Nordstream on accident or on purpose? Did you know about that?&#8221;
He continued to shout at her, calling her a &#8220;war criminal&#8221; as security moved to take him out as well. &#8220;How many people have died in your f***ing name? How many people have died because of Iraq?&#8221; he asked.
Once the second protester had been removed, a third stood up, and then a fourth — each criticizing Pelosi for provoking war — and one complained about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-consumer-wins-dismantling-dodd-frank-peter-van-voorhis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dodd-Frank</a>, saying that Democrats should have known it was &#8220;never going to work.&#8221;

Human Rights Campaign’s 2023 Los Angeles Dinner – Inside

Hecklers Derail Pelosi Event, Call Her ‘Warmonger,’ ‘Sad Old Drunk’

Protesters Derail Pelosi Event, Call Her 'Warmonger,' 'Sad Old Drunk'

Congress

Iraq War

Nancy Pelosi

Politics

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Senate</a> voted on Wednesday to repeal the authorizations for the Iraq and Persian Gulf wars decades after they were instituted.
Eighteen Republicans joined all voting Democrats and independents in supporting the measure. The final tally was 66-30, with four members not voting, according to C-SPAN.
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66-30: Senate votes to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs against Iraq. The bipartisan bill by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN) now heads to the House. <a href="https://t.co/KEdbzh8iUW">pic.twitter.com/KEdbzh8iUW</a>
&mdash; Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1641118068775567362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/316/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The bill</a> targets the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in 1991, which paved the way for military force in the Gulf War when George H.W. Bush was president, and the AUMF in 2002 that green-lit the 2003 invasion of Iraq when his son, George W. Bush, was president.
Before the legislation becomes law, it still needs approval from the Republican-controlled House and the president&#8217;s signature.
The White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/S316-SAP.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said this month</a> that President Joe Biden supports the repeal, noting that the authorization &#8220;would have no impact on current U.S. military operations and would support this Administration’s commitment to a strong and comprehensive relationship with our Iraqi partners.&#8221;
Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN) <a href="https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-and-young-introduce-bill-to-repeal-1991_2002-aumfs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reintroduced the legislation</a> earlier this year. In a statement, they described the bill as part of an effort to &#8220;prevent the future misuse of the expired Gulf and Iraq War authorizations and strengthen Congressional oversight over war powers.&#8221;
The senators also stressed that repealing these authorities would not impact ongoing U.S. operations to counter ISIS.
Among those who opposed the repeal was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who did not vote on Wednesday. He <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-minority-leader-mitch-mcconnell-returns-home-after-treatment-for-fall-concussion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently returned home</a> after undergoing physical therapy at an inpatient center following a fall that caused a concussion and minor rib fracture.
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“I am opposed to Congress sunsetting any military force authorizations in the Middle East,&#8221; McConnell <a href="https://www.republicanleader.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/while-senate-debates-aumf-iran-keeps-killing-and-wounding-americans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement</a>. &#8220;Our terrorist enemies aren’t sunsetting their war against us. And when we deploy our servicemembers in harm’s way, we need to supply them with all the support and legal authorities that we can.&#8221;
The <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1641118068775567362" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press noted</a> that the war authorizations have rarely been used as the basis for any presidential action. Former President Donald Trump&#8217;s White House <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-cites-2002-iraq-war-measure-to-justify-killing-soleimani-11581711789" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cited the 2002 authorization</a> to justify the drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, near the Baghdad International Airport in 2020.

U.S. 3rd Division Moves Through Iraq

Senate Votes To Repeal Iraq Military Authorizations

Iraq

National Security

Senate

U.S. Senate

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Macron Survives No Confidence Votes
French President Emmanuel Macron <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/20/world/macron-france-pension-no-confidence-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survived</a> a crucial vote of no confidence today. The vote came as the embattled leader found himself with some of the worst approval ratings in his presidency and the subject of mass protests after he reformed the nation’s pension system, including raising the retirement age by two years. 
Xi Goes To Russia
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/xi-jinping">Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a> arrived in Moscow on Monday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin — on what Beijing labeled a “mission of peace.” Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo joined Afternoon Update for more:
<blockquote>Xi’s visit underscores strengthening ties between the two powerful nations and comes as the Chinese leader is trying to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The U.S. opposes any deal, expressing concerns that a Beijing-brokered peace pact would be one-sided in favor of Russia. On Monday, Xi said he is sure his visit will be “fruitful.”  The meeting comes a day after Putin made a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/putin-visits-russian-occupied-mariupol">surprise visit to Mariupol</a>, a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine where he spoke briefly with supporters.</blockquote>
Border Crisis Continues
Sixteen people on the FBI’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/terrorism">terror</a> watch list were stopped along the southern border in February, according to new data. Daily Wire writer Tim Meads joined the podcast with more details:
<blockquote>A total of 69 individuals on the terror watchlist have been arrested at the U.S. Southern border in fiscal year 2023 — and authorities say the U.S. is already on pace to shatter last year’s 98 encounters. Immigration officials also report that the agency has encountered at least 214 people combined on the Terrorist Screening Database at both the northern and southern U.S. borders. </blockquote>
DeSantis Responds
In an update to our lead story from this morning’s episode, potential 2024 GOP candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis weighed in on former President Donald Trump’s claim that he was going to be arrested Tuesday on charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg: 
The response can be seen here:
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&quot;manufactured circus by some Soros DA&quot;
Brilliant response from DeSantis. <a href="https://t.co/XAh5ro7eSc">pic.twitter.com/XAh5ro7eSc</a>
&mdash; (AD) Deo Non Fortuna (@_labour_first) <a href="https://twitter.com/_labour_first/status/1637838079191920641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Congress Goes After Soros-Backed Prosecutor
At the federal level, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-launch-probe-into-manhattan-das-unprecedented-abuse-of-office-to-target-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a trio of Republican committee chairmen announced a probe into Alvin Bragg</a>. Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Oversight committee chairman James Comer (R-KY), and House Administration committee chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI) wrote to Bragg’s office on Monday and accused the Manhattan prosecutor of &#8220;unprecedented abuse&#8221; of authority.
 The House lawmakers sought records and communications related to Bragg’s investigation of Trump, as well as a transcribed interview with the prosecutor. The lawmakers’ letter comes days after Trump said Bragg intends to charge him in what would be the first-ever indictment of a former U.S. president. 
Bragg has investigated Trump for more than a year now over alleged hush money Trump paid porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up an affair prior to the 2016 election.
American Hostage Freed
An American hostage kept in Niger for six years has been freed from captivity, the State Department announced Monday. Jeff Woodke was a Christian humanitarian aid worker stationed in West Africa when he was taken hostage by a terrorist group. Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked the government of Niger for their help in securing his release. 
Spring Break Mayhem
The mayor of Miami Beach has called for canceling Spring Break after two men were shot and killed over the weekend amidst wild partying on the streets of the city. In a statement, Democratic Mayor Dan Gelber said, “It’s too rowdy, brings too much disorder, and is simply too difficult to police.” 
Miami Beach residents and business owners say out-of-control crowds and extensive property damage have become the norm in recent years. A midnight curfew was implemented Sunday night by Gelber: 
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Miami Beach officials have imposed a curfew during spring break after two fatal shootings and rowdy, chaotic crowds that police have had difficulty controlling. <a href="https://t.co/iNNiR4SkFL">pic.twitter.com/iNNiR4SkFL</a>
&mdash; The Associated Press (@AP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AP/status/1637594634674225152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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20th Anniversary Of Iraq War
Today marks the 20th Anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. Roughly 2,500 U.S. ground troops still remain stationed scattered throughout the country. 
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

This picture taken on March 20, 2023 shows traditional Russian wooden nesting dolls, called Matryoshka dolls, depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a gift shop in central Moscow. – Chinese leader arrived in Moscow on Monday saying his first state visit to Russia since the Ukraine conflict broke out would give “new momentum” to bilateral ties.

Monday Afternoon Update: Xi Goes To Russia, Border Crisis Continues, Spring Break Mayhem

Alvin Bragg

Donald Trump

George Soros

Miami

Southern Border

State Department

World

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/patrick-leahy">Patrick Leahy</a> (D-VT) wrote in his recent memoir that as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> debated <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iraq-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">war in Iraq</a> in 2002 he was given a tip about security information by two joggers that ended up influencing his vote on the war. 
Leahy’s claims, first published in his August 2022 memoir “The Road Taken,” were <a href="https://twitter.com/vermontgmg/status/1580949214594404352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1580949220575453186%7Ctwgr%5Eca842b2f3072354cf4c1274c8392102912eca217%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediaite.com%2Fpolitics%2Fpatrick-leahy-reveals-he-voted-against-iraq-war-after-visit-from-mysterious-joggers-who-showed-him-intel-proving-bush-wrong%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted</a> Friday by journalist and historian Garrett M. Graff, who said the senator&#8217;s claims provided “a rare glimpse into the shadowy way that the intel agencies interact with Members of Congress.”
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vermont" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vermont</a> senator, who was skeptical of the move toward war in Iraq, <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/politics/patrick-leahy-reveals-he-voted-against-iraq-war-after-visit-from-mysterious-joggers-who-showed-him-intel-proving-bush-wrong/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in his book that he was contacted by two runners who told him to check specific intelligence briefings while out on a walk with his wife Marcelle. 
“Two joggers trailed behind us. They stopped and asked what I thought of the intelligence briefings I’d been getting. Marcelle realized this was a conversation she would normally not be involved in and kept on walking ahead,” Leahy wrote. 
He said that he was told by the joggers to ask for “File Eight” and “File Twelve,” both files which related to intelligence on Iraq. 
“Quickly thereafter, I arranged to see File Eight and it contradicted much of what I had heard from the Bush administration,” Leahy claimed. The Democrat would go on to be on of 21 senators to vote against the authorization of war in Iraq. 
He called the alleged encounter with the joggers the most “eerie” experience he had in Washington, D.C.
“It was the eeriest conversation I’d ever experienced in Washington. I felt like a sensational version of of Bob Woodward meeting Deep Throat — only in broad daylight,” he wrote. 
Leahy, the third longest-serving U.S. senator of all time, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-senate-democrat-patrick-leahy-hospitalized-office-calls-it-a-precaution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">briefly hospitalized</a> on Thursday after feeling unwell. The 82-year-old was discharged the following day after an overnight stay in the hospital for observation. 
As Senate president pro tempore, Leahy is third in the line of presidential succession, after Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). He was first elected in 1975, but has been facing health problems in recent years. 
Leahy is not seeking re-election, having announced in 2021 that he would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/time-to-pass-the-torch-senate-democrat-elected-during-vietnam-war-says-he-wont-seek-re-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retire from the Senate</a> in 2023.
His retirement announcement opened up a Senate seat that has stayed Democrat since the Vietnam War, although Democrat Peter Welch was up 35 points over the Republican candidate during the last <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2022/senate/vt/vermont_senate_nolan_vs_welch-7533.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RealClearPolitics</a> poll, which was taken in April. Democratic-socialist Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is the other senator from Vermont.
Eric Quintanar contributed to this report.

Secretary Austin Testifies To The Senate On Next Year’s Budget

Dem Senator Says Mystery Joggers Gave Him ‘Eerie’ National Intelligence Tip In Early 2000s

Dem Senator Says Joggers Gave Him With Mysterious National Intelligence Tip In Early 2000s

Patrick Leahy

Vermont

Protesters breached <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iraq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iraq&#8217;s</a> presidential palace on Monday after an influential <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/islam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shiite</a> cleric announced his resignation from politics.
A video released on Monday appeared to show U.S. Embassy employees in Baghdad being evacuated by military helicopter.
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John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, later denied that there was an evacuation of U.S. Embassy personnel, in contrast with earlier reports.
“There’s no evacuation going on at the embassy and no indication that’s going to be required at this time,” Kirby told reporters, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3619648-white-house-calls-violence-in-iraq-disturbing-but-says-embassy-not-being-evacuated/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> The Hill. One senior official also told Fox News, &#8220;If we were conducting an evacuation, I would not be on the phone with you right now. Don&#8217;t know where those reports are coming from. There&#8217;s no change to our status at the Embassy.&#8221;
Concerns of unrest have grown recently, with the U.S. Embassy in Iraq releasing a statement last week urging calm among all parties.
“We are closely monitoring reports of unrest in Baghdad today at the Supreme Judicial Council,” the embassy said.
“We urge all parties to remain calm, abstain from violence, and resolve any political differences through a peaceful process guided by the Iraqi constitution. We also call for those demonstrating to respect the proceedings and property of Iraq’s governmental institutions which belong to and serve the Iraqi people,” it added.
The nation&#8217;s government has been in controversy since October when cleric Muqtada al-Sadr&#8217;s party won the most seats in the election but failed to reach the number needed to form a majority government. The Shiite leader refused to negotiate with Iran-backed Shiites to create a consensus government.
Al-Sadr&#8217;s supporters staged a government sit-in over the past four weeks to stop rivals from forming an opposing coalition government. His party members have also announced their resignations, with al-Sadr joining in solidarity.
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The leaders&#8217; statement was in response to the retirement of the Shia spiritual leader Ayatollah Kadhim al-Haeri, who counts many of al-Sadr’s supporters as followers. On Sunday, al-Haeri announced he was stepping down and called on his followers to support Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei instead of the Shia spiritual center in Najaf, Iraq.
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Presidential palace. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iraq?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iraq</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Baghdad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Baghdad</a> <a href="https://t.co/wQ9BAt2sl9">pic.twitter.com/wQ9BAt2sl9</a>
&mdash; Tammuz Intel (@Tammuz_Intel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tammuz_Intel/status/1564222680114647042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In response, several hundred protesters breached the concrete barriers outside the palace gates and stormed the building. Iraq&#8217;s military issued a curfew and has called on protesters to leave immediately.
Some protesters have decided to stay despite the warning, with video surfacing of intruders enjoying the palace swimming pool.
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مثلما حصل في سريلانكا
انصار التيار الصدري يسبحون في مسبح القصر الجمهوري <a href="https://t.co/5zHPq636nF">pic.twitter.com/5zHPq636nF</a>
&mdash; شاهو القرةداغي (@shahokurdy) <a href="https://twitter.com/shahokurdy/status/1564224969785184257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Outside of the palace, other protesters were recorded fleeing from gunfire in the background. The Jerusalem Post <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-715830" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the gunfire was believed to be from the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) firing to stop demonstrators.
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Heavy gunfire can be heard in the background. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iraq?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iraq</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Baghdad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Baghdad</a> <a href="https://t.co/mqAy7SyqnB">pic.twitter.com/mqAy7SyqnB</a>
&mdash; Tammuz Intel (@Tammuz_Intel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tammuz_Intel/status/1564251508732043271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Iraq&#8217;s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has reportedly been evacuated as a safety precaution.
The chaos comes almost one year after U.S. military forces exited Afghanistan on August 31 after two decades of operations following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America.
In addition to the unrest in Iraq, 21 people were killed and 33 were injured in a bombing in Afghanistan&#8217;s capital city of Kabul earlier this month.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/at-least-21-killed-in-kabul-mosque-bombing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the attacks, promising that “perpetrators of such crimes will soon be brought to justice and will be punished.” Despite the statement, the attack shows that the persistent violence that has plagued the country for decades may be far from over.
This article has been updated to include additional information.

Iraq protest

WATCH: Iraq’s Presidential Palace Breached; U.S. Denies Embassy Evacuation

Iraq’s Presidential Palace Breached; U.S. Denies Embassy Evacuation

Afghanistan

Protesters

Religion

The call came early in the morning, not long after I had spent the entire night wandering the hallways of my home. No pleasantries were exchanged, just the gruff voice of the sergeant I knew from my time overseas.
“I assume you’ve seen the news?”
I nodded, realized he couldn’t see me, and then answered with a belated, “Yeah.”
“What a mess,” he stated. “What a damned mess.”
The man on the other line was Paul “Gonzo” Gonzalez, the team sergeant who ensured I came home alive from Afghanistan. Despite having a Hispanic last name, Paul was an Irish American with pasty white skin and dark brown hair. What made him most intimidating was the way his jaw muscles flexed when he was irritated. I imagined — at that moment — his jaw was clenched so tight his teeth might break, given the current news cycle.
Gonzo was there with me on a fateful day in Afghanistan. He found me standing on a makeshift helicopter tarmac covered in blood and clutching another soldier’s rifle to my chest. Holes torn through my shirt and hands drenched in viscera, he rotated my head from side to side until I swatted his arm. “I just got my bell rung,” I told him. This made Gonzo raise an eyebrow, given that my responses were slow, I was swaying from side to side, and I looked like hell. “Okay, I went headfirst into a wall. Seriously. I’m fine.”
The Taliban had hit our small forward operating base, and I took the brunt of a 107mm rocket, as did another soldier. The other man had to be medically evacuated due to the gravity of his injuries, and I helped patch him up as best I could. Then we hoisted him on a litter and ran to the helicopter. I don’t remember portions as I was slipping in and out of lucidity, unaware that I was even injured. We both survived, but now, some 18 years after the event, my past was coming back to haunt me.
Gonzo waited on the other end of the line until I said something. “First Ramadi, and now this? It’s embarrassing,” I spat. 
Gonzo and I also fought together in Ramadi, Iraq, from 2006 to 2007. In 2015, we watched helplessly as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) took over the city. Now a repeat scenario was happening in our other war. We watched with horror as the Afghan government collapsed overnight and the Taliban seized control of the capitol. Iraq hurt, but Afghanistan delivered the killing blow to the morale of most veterans.
Neither Gonzo nor I could put into words the anger, frustration, or fruitlessness we felt. Instead, we were two combat veterans lamenting events unfolding in Kabul. Little did we know just how bad it would get, and <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/11/12/anger-betrayal-and-humiliation-how-veterans-feel-about-the-withdrawal-from-afghanistan/">how hard it would hit</a> so many other veterans.
A year removed from the withdrawal in Afghanistan, a question I’m often asked is, “Was it worth it?” When people ask, my mind goes to names like Seitsinger, Mancini, O’Neil, Thomas, Fuller, and Meister — men who died in Afghanistan that I had served alongside.
There’s an old Metallica song from the critically acclaimed album, “Master of Puppets,” entitled “Disposable Heroes” that I sometimes listen to. The song details young men being fed to the military industrial complex only to die in battle. The album has once more become popular after the most recent season of “Stranger Things” in which social outcast Eddie Munson shreds to the title track. But much of the album is about how war — and drugs — manipulate you.
I suppose that looking back now, I feel like the U.S. government was the “Master of Puppets,” manipulating those of us who fought in the war, only to watch it explode in our face. In fact, we got sold an ever changing narrative throughout four different presidencies.
During my time in Afghanistan, a focal point became the poppy fields and drug trade through the Silk Road. That ended disastrously, so the narrative changed. Minerals and commodities, stabilization efforts, democracy, rooting out terrorism, or anything to slap lipstick on the pig of war was used as a tool to rewrite or change the focus. The story about what we were doing in Afghanistan and why became so convoluted that the American populace checked out and sort of forgot we were still there. That was, until 13 service members died in an explosion at Abbey Gate during the evacuation process in August 2021. Suddenly everyone gave a damn about our dead service members because the media’s Eye of Sauron turned its gaze once more to Afghanistan. But all those names I just rattled off? No one set out beers in their memory at local taverns. They were just… disposable heroes.
I suppose that’s why many veterans are salty about the way the withdrawal happened, because for almost 20 years our efforts didn’t matter until that loud alarm at the 11th hour. Then, perhaps more importantly, our politicians and military leaders fumbled so hard we became a laughingstock to the international community. We capitulated to the demands of the Taliban on their timeline, abandoned our allies and interpreters, and ran out of the country like a dog with a tail between its legs. Then when we tried to flex our muscles, we had a retaliatory airstrike that solely killed Afghan civilians. The thing I remain baffled by is the fact that we could have withdrawn in a manner that didn’t have such disastrous results. We should have told the Taliban to pound sand and that we’d leave once we had everyone out. 13 service members died because of ineptitude and lack of leadership, not because they had to.
But back to the question everyone wants to know — was it worth it? 
In some respects, I think we can say yes. Despite an unclear mission and embarrassing withdrawal, there are small silver linings. We gave young girls the opportunity to get an education, ended human rights violations, and bore the sword in defense of the marginalized and oppressed. Continuing the war the way we did, however, was based on decisions of complacent old men and women who’ve never seen combat. Perhaps that’s the greatest fallacy we’ve embraced as a nation: we send our young to die based on the whims of politicians who’ve never served in the killing fields.
Please don’t mistake this critique as not being proud to have served or that I don’t love my country. I do. In fact, I often have this dream where I return to Afghanistan, much like how Vietnam veterans have taken trips to find their healing in the rice paddies of Vietnam. When I daydream about it, I imagine I’d visit the places where my friends died and my own blood stained the ground, just as our grandfathers visited the hallowed sands of Omaha Beach.
But these days I don’t know if that’ll ever happen. I want it to. I imagine most who fought in the sands and mountains don’t want to be trapped in the mental prison of the past. But I suppose &#8211; as many of us have learned &#8211; we must become content with our dead brothers and sisters being nothing more than disposable heroes. 
Portions of this article are adapted from the book, <a href="https://amz.run/5GAb">Where Cowards Go to Die</a>, by Benjamin Sledge (Regnery Publishing, July 2022).
<a href="https://benjaminsledge.com/">Benjamin Sledge</a> is a wounded combat veteran with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, serving most of his time under Special Operations (Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command). He is the recipient of the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and two Army Commendation Medals for his actions overseas. Upon returning home from war, he began work in mental health and addiction recovery. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Readers Pass – Sledge – Disposable Heroes- Reflections from A Soldier On The Afghanistan Withdrawal16x9

Was It Worth It? Reflections From A ‘Disposable Hero’ Of The War In Afghanistan

Marines

Readers Pass

U.S. Army

An Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) linked operative planned to assassinate former President George W. Bush in Dallas, according to a Tuesday report from <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2022/05/24/exclusive-isis-plotting-to-assassinate-george-w-bush-in-dallas/?sh=56804b1d180f">Forbes</a>.
An FBI search warrant application filed on March 23 and unsealed this week revealed that the alleged operative from Iraq took video at the former commander-in-chief’s home and the George W. Bush Institute. He also sought help from a team of compatriots he reportedly wanted to smuggle across the Mexican border.
The alleged plot occurs despite ISIS’ influence declining after a series of military defeats before resurging up into 2022. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-islamicstate/iraq-declares-final-victory-over-islamic-state-idUSKBN1E30B9">declared victory</a> over the organization in December 2017, and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed himself during a 2019 <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-forces-launch-operation-in-syria-targeting-isis-leader-baghdadi-officials-say/2019/10/27/081bc257-adf1-4db6-9a6a-9b820dd9e32d_story.html">raid</a> approved by former President Donald Trump.
“The FBI said it uncovered the scheme through the work of two confidential informants and surveillance of the alleged plotter’s account on the Meta-owned WhatsApp messaging platform,” Forbes reported. “The alleged ISIS operative, based in Columbus, Ohio, said he wanted to assassinate Bush because he felt the former president was responsible for killing many Iraqis and breaking apart the country after the 2003 U.S. military invasion, according to the warrant.&#8221;
Forbes added that the alleged operative had been in the United States since 2020 and had a pending asylum application. According to the warrant, the operative also asked one of the confidential sources how he could “obtain replica or fraudulent police and/or FBI identifications and badges” and investigated whether it was possible to help his compatriots escape back into Mexico after the killing.
“The alleged plotter claimed to be part of a unit called ‘Al-Raed,’ meaning ‘Thunder,’ that was led by a former Iraqi pilot for Saddam Hussein who had been based out of Qatar until his recent death, the warrant said,” Forbes continued. “As many as seven members of the group would be sent to the U.S. to kill President Bush, according to a conversation described in the warrant, and the suspect’s job was ‘to locate and conduct surveillance on former president Bush’s residences and/or offices and obtain firearms and vehicles to use in the assassination.’”
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/25/world/middleeast/isis-syria.html">The New York Times</a> reported earlier this year that ISIS is quickly upping attacks in the Middle East.
“The evidence of a resurgence of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq is mounting by the day, nearly three years after the militants lost the last patch of territory of their so-called caliphate, which once stretched across vast parts of the two countries,” the Times said in January. “The fact that ISIS was able to mount these coordinated and sophisticated attacks in recent days shows that what had been believed to be disparate sleeper cells are re-emerging as a more serious threat.”
The Times <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mounting-by-the-day-isis-rapidly-regaining-territory-in-areas-where-trump-wiped-them-out-report-says">cited several incidents</a> that have occurred in the region, including a massive attack attempting to free ISIS prisoners in Syria, attacks on military forces in Iraq, and the circulation of a gruesome beheading video.
“It’s a wake-up call for regional players, for national players, that ISIS is not over, that the fight is not over,” Kawa Hassan, Middle East and North Africa director at the Stimson Center, told the outlet. “It shows the resilience of ISIS to strike back at the time and place of their choosing.”

President Bush Visits Camp Pendleton

ISIS Linked Operative Planned To Assassinate George W. Bush In Dallas, Hoped To Bring Help From Across The Mexican Border, FBI Alleges

ISIS Operative Allegedly Planned To Kill George W. Bush In Dallas, Hoped To Bring Help From Across The Mexican Border

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

George W. Bush

ISIS

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing on the authorizations of “use of force.” The committee <a href="https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/authorizations-of-use-of-force-administration-perspectives-080321">hearing</a> was titled “Authorizations of Use of Force: Administration Perspectives,” with Senator Menendez (D-NJ) presiding.
During the hearing, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) explained his reasoning for the “public and official ending of the Iraq War.”
“I wholeheartedly support the public and official ending of the Iraq war,” Sen. Paul said. “Many of us thought the war was a mistake to begin with. Large percentages of the public now in retrospect think the war was a mistake. Even if you poll our veterans who have fought in the war the vast majority of our veterans actually think it was a mistake.”
“So publicly ending the Iraq war which has been over for a decade is a great idea and shouldn&#8217;t be controversial,” Sen. Paul continued. “But people who want to keep it in place have to realize that this vote will be similar to the vote in 2002. The vote in 2002 allowed a hundred thousand troops or more to be in Iraq, it allowed two thousand of our soldiers to die, it allowed 20,000 people to be wounded and over a thousand young men and women to lose their arms and legs. That&#8217;s what you&#8217;re voting for now.”
“If you leave this in place any president could do the same thing they did in 2002. That&#8217;s what you&#8217;re voting for,” Sen. Paul said. “Wouldn&#8217;t you want to vote again? People say we might not vote for it, that would be good if we didn&#8217;t vote for another Iraq war! But if there is another need for a war come and vote. When we have been attacked we have voted overwhelmingly. When we were attacked on 9.11 we overwhelmingly voted. Iraq was a different story and still people have debates over whether it was a good idea to this day.
“But leaving it on the books, if you vote to leave it on the books you&#8217;re voting to allow a president to send as much as hundreds of thousands of troops in,” Sen. Paul added.
“Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of American personnel overseas is of the highest priority to the State Department,” said Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. “As diplomats, it is our responsibility and our honor to represent America’s values and interests at home and abroad. That work requires our personnel to travel—and live—all over the world, including in many challenging environments.”
“We are here today to discuss authorizations for the use of military force. But I believe this hearing is also about our democracy, and the democratic values we model around the world. President Biden is committed to engaging with Congress on questions of war and peace, and to being open and transparent about when, where, why, and how the United States chooses to use military force,” Secretary Sherman added, before saying that the “Biden-Harris administration believes the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force against Iraq has outlived its usefulness and should be repealed.”

Rand Paul

Senate Committee Debates ‘Use Of Force’ Authorizations, Rand Paul Calls For ‘Public And Official Ending Of The Iraq War’

Foreign Policy

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted, Thursday, to scrap a law that greenlighted the Iraq War.
In a 268-161 vote, lawmakers repealed the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) — a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/107/plaws/publ243/PLAW-107publ243.pdf">resolution</a> that granted President George W. Bush permission to “defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq.”
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/house-to-vote-on-repealing-2002-iraq-war-law-11623931201?mod=hp_lead_pos10">reports</a>:
<blockquote>The measure passed with bipartisan support, reflecting the growing unpopularity among American voters with the so-called forever wars. Forty-nine Republicans and 219 Democrats voted in favor of the repeal.
The U.S. has no continuing military activities that rely solely on the 2002 authorization… President Barack Obama pulled U.S. troops out of Iraq in 2011, although a contingent returned later to aid the Iraqi government’s fight against Islamic State.</blockquote>
President Biden expressed his support for repealing the AUMF in a Monday <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/SAP-HR-256.pdf">statement</a>:
<blockquote>The President is committed to working with the Congress to ensure that outdated authorizations for the use of military force are replaced with a narrow and specific framework appropriate to ensure that we can continue to protect Americans from terrorist threats. In working with the Congress on repealing and replacing other existing authorizations of military force, the Administration seeks to ensure that the Congress has a clear and thorough understanding of the effect of any such action and of the threats facing U.S. forces, personnel, and interests around the world.</blockquote>
“The constitution requires that we cannot appropriate funds for armies for more than two years, and yet for almost two decades we have failed to revisit these AUMFs,” said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), as quoted by The Wall Street Journal. “To this day, our endless war continues, costing trillions of dollars and thousands of lives in a war that goes way beyond any scope that Congress conceived or intended.”
“After nearly 20 years of fighting for this, we’re finally one step closer to ending forever wars,” she remarked on Twitter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨BREAKING: My bill to repeal the 2002 Iraq AUMF passed the House. 
After nearly 20 years of fighting for this, we’re finally one step closer to ending forever wars.
&mdash; Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepBarbaraLee/status/1405548942163644418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Some lawmakers — such as Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) — were not so enthusiastic.
“What message would this send to the terrorists, who are on the ropes, who haven’t attacked in the United States, not because they don’t want to but because we haven’t let them, because we have fought them on their territory before they have the ability to organize and attack us here?” he commented.
The Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations will vote on the 2002 and 1991 AUMFs on June 22. Though Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) supports the legislation, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) believes that repealing the law is “more complicated, more dangerous, and less politically convenient than its supporters believe.”

Oil Fires Burn In Iraq

‘One Step Closer To Ending Forever Wars’: House Repeals Law That Authorized Iraq Conflict

The decades-old claim that video games needed to be banned because they cause violence is back, even though in that same length of time, the evidence overwhelmingly shows that no, video games do not cause violence (or misogyny or racism or whatever else they’re blamed for).
The latest example involves a censorship attempt over the game “Six Days in Fallujah,” a game that was canceled in 2009 over fears that it was released too soon after the real-life Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004, after which the game is based. It’s been 12 years since its cancelation, and now that the game looks like it might finally be released, activists posing as games journalists are trying to get it canceled again, this time based on moral panic.
None of the people complaining or defending the game have played it, since it isn’t available yet, but that hasn’t stopped the commentary. Forbes senior contributor Erik Kain, who covers video games, described the game in his Susbstack <a href="https://diabolical.substack.com/p/the-ridiculous-censorious-social">column</a> defending it as a game that, from what he could tell, “simply tries to recreate the chaos and terror US, British and Iraqi troops (and civilians) faced entering a deadly, hostile urban setting overrun by insurgents.”
“This is not Call Of Duty. It’s a slower-paced, tactical first-person shooter that uses procedurally-generated areas so that each time you enter the battle, you go in with uncertainty, not knowing what to expect, a mechanic that mimics the tension of a real urban warfare environment rather than the bombastic, frenzied levels of Call Of Duty,” Kain added.
Later, Kain wrote that game developer Highwire Games said “Six Days in Fallujah” was an attempt to recreate the 2004 battle, combining first-person-shooter gameplay with “documentary-style interviews that seek to portray both the feel of urban combat and the fear experienced by those present.”
“The usual suspects have come out of the woodwork <a href="https://kotaku.com/you-don-t-have-to-run-the-exclusive-reveal-for-the-war-1846543966">to condemn the game as a &#8216;war crime game&#8217;</a> and decry it as apologist propaganda for US foreign policy in the Middle East and elsewhere. People are talking about how it harms people of color, enables white nationalism and all the same tired nonsense that’s dragged out time and time again regardless of context or fact. Some have even said that commenting on the game could result in their US visa being revoked, as though the US government is eagerly watching Twitter to see if anyone says anything bad about the game,” Kain wrote.
Christopher Ferguson, a psychology professor at Stetson University, addressed the “moral panic” behind the game at Psychology Today, writing that evidence doesn’t support the assertions that games cause people to become violent.
“The good news, and a reason to be cautious about stating such effects, is that evidence for other video game effects outside of the violence realm has generally turned up very little. That’s true whether we’re looking at <a href="https://christopherjferguson.com/WomenSexualizedGames.pdf">body-image concerns</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25844719/">sexist </a><a href="https://christopherjferguson.com/Annual%20Review%20LSS.pdf">attitudes</a>, or <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1555412013493498">pro-militaristic attitudes</a>.  In general, beliefs that fictional media can influence behaviors or attitudes is largely exaggerated. Thus, even if the game were to portray a one-sided version of the Second Battle of Fallujah (something we don’t know since the game hasn’t been released) there’s no clear reason to believe it would have particularly noticeable effects on players’ attitudes toward Iraqi citizens,” Ferguson wrote.
Still, a petition on Change.org insists, without evidence, that the game would “breed a new generation of mass shooters in America and brainwash gamers into thinking RACISM IS OK.” At the time of this writing, it appears the “mass shooters” assumption has been removed.
“The idea that this, or any game, is going to create “a new generation of mass shooters” is completely anti-science. At this point, the belief that video games and mass homicides have any relationship at all has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/mass-shootings-arent-growing-more-common-and-evidence-contradicts-common-stereotypes-about-the-killers-121471">thoroughly discredited</a>. This is the kind of line that was used by anti-game crusaders 20 years ago, and it’s almost surreal to see it resurrected here and signed onto by some game developers and journalists. It’s language like this that suggests we’re in a moral panic, not a careful consideration of the game,” Ferguson asserted.
It should be noted that these same kinds of moral panics don&#8217;t get paired with war movies or books about war.

Marines in Iraq

People Are Trying To Get A New Video Game Banned, Claiming It Will Lead To Mass Shootings

Censorship

Video Games

Green Berets, or Army Special Forces, are a specially trained unit within the US Military, specifically designed to engage in Unconventional Warfare (UW) and Counter Insurgency (COIN). They have many additional areas of expertise, but UW and COIN form the basis of the unit’s existence. As such, they are trained to work in 12 person teams which operate “By, Through and With” the local population in order to achieve their objectives. 
As you may expect, there is a great deal of “door kicking” involved in such an occupation, but the Green Berets’ main function is to work with indigenous groups. This includes training, advising, and developing a cultural understanding of the operational environment they are working in, so that they can accomplish their mission. 
I was serving in Iraq in 2006 as a Green Beret when I noticed that every village we visited and every tribal elder we spoke to were requesting generators, simply in order to keep the power on. I found this to be an interesting request as we were operating in a country that — on the surface — didn’t lack access to the natural resources used by the rest of the world to keep the lights on and fuel their respective economies. How was it possible that such an oil rich country lacked the basic resources to provide power?
During a discussion with an Iraqi Colonel, I posed this very question. Being that the need for generators was so prevalent, how was it that some enterprising Iraqi had not started a business providing the necessary resources? The Colonel smiled and proceeded to explain that in Iraq, there were restrictions and regulations on the size and type of generators that could be imported into the country or developed locally. This led to a lack of supply of large generators. I could certainly understand the problem with government regulations standing in the way of progress, but why couldn’t smaller generators be used?
He explained that Iraq is largely a tribal society. Therefore, if you were providing power to your cousin and they were unable to pay, you wouldn’t be inclined to shut off their power. I can understood that conundrum, so I asked why this problem wasn’t avoided by choosing to provide power to people in a different area.
He finally looked at me and said, “Why would we go to the trouble when the Americans will provide it for free?” That’s when the lightbulb went on. Our own policies in Iraq were stunting the very organic economic progress we were attempting to ensure. By providing certain products and services — at the expense of the US taxpayer — we were standing in the way of the development of necessary markets within Iraq. 
The lesson was simple. In a war-torn area, assistance can be warranted and even needed, but when you infantilize an entire population through economic dependency, you are not doing them any favors in the long run. Such a state of affairs raises the question of whether this was the actual objective, with the goal to control people instead of creating an environment of political and economic independence.  
If this economic lesson applies to a place like Iraq, which was undergoing significant political and economic changes in the midst of conflict, it is even more applicable to countries where such difficulties do not present themselves. 
When confronting poverty or a lack of economic development, it can be incredibly tempting for well-meaning policy makers and politicians to automatically assume that the “solution” is government control and redistribution of resources. To take products or services from one area and mandate by law that they be used in another. But an emphasis on “redistribution” ignores the fundamental question that first needs to be asked. Why aren’t the necessary products and services being provided in the under-served area in the first place? Without first answering this question, the redistributionist ignores the underlying conditions in order to temporarily alleviate a problem, instead of actually addressing it in a way that prevents it from continuing. 
I used to believe that the goal of redistributionists was noble and genuine, and that it was only their methods that were flawed. I am beginning to think that there is another goal which does not make its way into editorials or campaign speeches: the desire for control. 
A population which becomes dependent upon government subsidy or intervention for its economic wellbeing is no longer free in any real sense. The incentive to create, adapt and innovate is automatically thwarted by a political elite which treats them like children and, like all bad parents, expects them to obey lest they lose access to the benefits they are now receiving. 
In war-torn Iraq, I learned why such an approach is completely counter-productive. Imagine my surprise when I found a similar approach being applied here at home, for the same reason. 
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Nick Freitas

What Being A Green Beret In Iraq Taught Me About Economics and Freedom

Virginia

The United States has been in a constant state of war since 9/11. The war in Afghanistan began on October 7th 2001, and at 19 years and 2 months is the longest conflict in US history. For context, the Vietnam War lasted 17 years and 4 months, and the Iraq War lasted 8 years and 9 months. After over 19 years of war, it is time for us to take stock of what we have accomplished — and failed to accomplish — in order to determine our best path moving forward when it comes to foreign policy. 
Joe Biden shocked many in his own party when he selected Gen. Lloyd Austin — a retired four-star Army general who served as the 12th commander of United States Central Command — over Michele Flournoy — Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy under President Bill Clinton and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy under President Barack Obama — as his pick for Secretary of Defense. One primary reason this decision is seen as controversial is that Gen. Austin — having retired from the armed services in 2016 — has not been separated from the military for the minimum of 7 years, and will therefore require a congressional waiver to be appointed.
The logic behind this requirement is that it protects the notion of civilian control over the military. Personally, I am a firm believer in such civilian control over our armed forces, but I also recognize the benefits of a Secretary of Defense who understands life at the business end of foreign policy, as opposed to someone who has made a lot of decisions about going to war without actually having to do any of the fighting. 
I served in Iraq at the same time that Gen. Austin did. We didn’t travel in the same circles, as he was a general and I was a Sergeant First Class with 1st Special Forces Group conducting combat operations in Iraq in 2006 and 2008. My overall impression of him at the time was that he was a competent commander. Of course, that is not to say that I agreed with every decision either the administration or every commander was making. However, given that his job was to carry out our commitment in Iraq, I believe he did so to the best of his ability with the resources he had available.
As someone who served both in the military and now in elected office, the concern is not necessarily who serves as Secretary of Defense. Instead, it’s the kind of strategy they will be charged with carrying out, and whether their experience and advice will be considered when it comes to crafting defense policy, instead of simply being required to make the best of whatever decisions are made by others.
When I decided to leave the military after my second combat tour and 11 years of active duty, many were confused. Why would I leave in the middle of my career? I loved being in the Special Forces, and loved the people I served alongside. What I was tired of was having to do our job with one — and sometimes both — hands tied behind our backs. When asked why I didn’t stay to fix the problem, my answer was simple. The men and women in the armed forces aren’t the problem. Politicians and bureaucrats are. 
For too long, Congress has abdicated its responsibility to our country, our Constitution and our men and women serving in uniform. They have done so by refusing to accept their responsibility for the troops they place in harm’s way. Loose interpretations of the separation of powers have created a situation where the longest “wars” in US History are undeclared, with Congress happy to approve National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) without actually declaring war. This allows Congress to approve or disapprove of war depending on how the political winds are blowing. Both sides of the political aisle use this tactic, leaving our servicemen and women to suffer the consequences.
Going forward, the most important thing to watch is not only the individual selections for positions within our Department of Defense team, but whether or not we are going to craft a coherent defense policy given the obvious threats we face. Frankly, those threats are not coming from Afghanistan. 
The reason I fully support bringing our troops home is because I do not believe that we have, nor have we ever had, a truly coherent strategy for the region. Our military has done everything that has been asked of them. It is time to realize that whatever hopes we might have harbored for an Afghanistan created in our image, it was never a practical strategy given the history or culture of the country. Instead, we need to reorient our strategy to adequately prepare for future threats, as well as the real ones before us. 
If we are serious about remaining the world’s only military superpower — which we should — then it is time to realize that the strategy of invading and subsequently taking over the government and economy of a country we don’t truly understand is a futile mission. The job of the US military is not to make the world “safe for democracy,” but rather to protect the United States, to identify relevant threats, and to neutralize those threats. This does not mean we can’t work with local parties in order to achieve greater stability, but we have to be realistic about what “stability” looks like. 
The greatest threats to US interests in the 21st century come from a nuclear Iran, a saber-rattling Russia and the growing aggression and ambition of China. Investment in defensive and offensive cyber capabilities is critical. Greater emphasis on Counter Insurgency (COIN) and Unconventional Warfare (UW) is necessary, and adjusting our response to better understand and implement countermeasures to the asymmetric warfare strategies of our opposition must feature prominently in our approach. In addition to our own defense commitments, cooperation with allies is vital to ensuring that the United States does not bear the entirety of the responsibility when combatting aggression. 
Central to this objective is the importance of striking the proper tone. Regardless of your opinion of the efficacy of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, it wasn’t the “peace through apology” strategy of the Obama and Biden years that achieved the historic treaties Trump brokered in the Middle East and the Balkans. 
Peace is not maintained by endless wars, nor is it maintained by equivocation. It is maintained by a careful balance between the ability to use overwhelming force when necessary, and the wisdom required to understand and apply the best form of escalation. My concern is that the Biden Administration, regardless of who is picked to run individual departments or agencies, will not be able to demonstrate the political will to conduct war or achieve peace. Decisions will likely be determined by CNN polls rather than a comprehensive defense strategy that recognizes the importance of US military and economic dominance combined with the respect of proper constitutional processes before deploying troops or resources. 
Our global competitors and enemies are watching closely. They feared Trump because they knew he was willing to use force, even though his record in office showed greater military restraint than several administrations before him. 
The real and only question facing the Biden administration is whether they will attempt to deliver peace through strength, or peace through equivocation. Only one of those approaches has ever achieved the desired result. “Speak softly but carry a big stick,” as Teddy Roosevelt said, can be an effective strategy, but only if the stick is big enough and only if you are incredibly careful about when, where and against whom you use it. Unfortunately, numerous administrations of both parties have gotten it wrong in the past. Let’s hope our future defense strategy has the political will to reject both the endless wars of numerous administrations and the feckless equivocation of the Obama years.  
Nick Freitas is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and a Green Beret combat veteran. 
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Ending Endless Wars, And Achieving Peace Through Strength, Not Equivocation

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