Foreign Policy: Two of the worst military mistakes Trump has to correct

Bradley Bowman, a former adviser to the US Senate's Armed Services Committees and Foreign Affairs, comments last week's announcement by the administration of President Joe Biden that he will suspend former President Donald Trump's plans to withdraw thousands of American troops from Germany, pending an extensive review of the US military position worldwide. a welcome move that gives Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin the opportunity to study in detail the wide range of Trump administration defence policies and to determine what to hold and which to refuse.

In his article in Foreign Policy magazine, Bowman said that there are already two clear policies that need to be addressed, which are: Trump's relations with older allies like Germany, and the withdrawal of American forces from conflict areas in line with strict deadlines.

The author believes Trump had a brief approach to relations with Germany and South Korea when he expressed a desire to withdraw US forces from those two countries, creating unnecessary tension that was certainly enjoyed by China and North Korea.

The Importance of American Allies

Bowman calls attention to the importance of American allies such as Germany and South Korea, believing that they have a major role in protecting national security, so these relationships need to be fed.

“It is certain that not all U.S. military deployments and interventions were prudent or that they were wise because they all require strong and independent questions. ”

Bowman focuses on the importance of an American task force in Germany, which has the best military training skills and logistical infrastructure in Europe, explaining that it helps the US Department of Defence (Pentagon) support its military operations in the Mediterranean, Africa and Middle East.

The Biden administration wisely banned the withdrawal from Germany, but the defence minister should not stop here, he adds. It should also review Trump's announcement of withdrawing from conflict zones based on the wrong idea that the United States may ignore continued terrorist threats and safely conduct withdrawal operations under the arbitrary deadlines set in Washington.

The author notes that reviewing the Trump Administration's approach to South Korea and Germany is an easy part of the Biden team. We will see if the new administration has the wisdom to resist calls for the full withdrawal of remaining US military units in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria on the basis of arbitrary dates instead of assessing security needs and conditions on the ground”.

He concludes his article by saying that it is known that not all U.S. military deployments and interventions are wise or discreet and all require strong and independent questions.

As Austin concludes a review of defence policies he inherited from the Trump administration, some of these policies may be worth keeping. Handling Trump to allies and withdrawing the army are not among them. (Teshesh)