Erin Molan: Bumbling Biden issues invitation to enemies

US President Joe Biden is showing weakness rather than strength, and that’s a red flag for America’s enemies, writes Erin Molan

The greatest deterrent to conflict is strength. It’s cliched, it’s over used, but it’s also true.

The most powerful country on earth is America, barely clinging to the title but still with the mantle … for now.

Our greatest ally.

In fact we are the only country that’s been alongside these allies in every conflict since our founding. A strong, prosperous United States is our greatest hope of continuing the resilient and blessed existence that we enjoy now.

Cue alarm bells. Does it come as any surprise to anyone that three US troops were killed and 25 injured in the Middle East this week?

It shouldn’t.

USA leader Joe Biden has just given us all (another) example of how any weakness we show will be used against us by our enemies. You can use big words and you can ‘talk the talk’ but if your enemies are aware of any vulnerability, if they know you aren’t capable of following through, then you would ignore at your peril the likelihood that they will strike.

Iran is responsible for the US deaths this week. A bold move, absolutely. A clear escalation, yes indeed. But is it really a high risk move for the Iranians or, for that matter any aggressor, under the leadership of Biden?

In October last year the US President said he had sent a rare message to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warning Tehran against targeting US personnel in the Middle East.

US President Joe Biden is not sending out the right signals to America’s enemies.

His “people” said “there was a direct message relayed”. Biden publicly warned that the US would respond if their forces continued to be targeted.

“My warning to the Ayatollah was that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond, and he should be prepared.

“It has nothing to do with Israel,” Biden said.

Iran responded at the time by saying there were NO warnings – emphatic clarification of their complete disdain for, and absence of anything remotely resembling, ‘fear’ of the uninspiring US president and his capabilities.

Just over two weeks ago Biden was again asked about threats towards US troops coming out of Iran. His response: “I’ve already delivered the message to Iran. They know not to do anything.”

Strong words. They ‘know’ not to do anything. Well, Mr President. They didn’t know that at all because a fortnight later they killed three of your troops and injured 25 others.

Some world leaders shy away from strong words publicly, preferring to enact their diplomacy in private. If you are going to use public channels to try to impress a diminishing voter base, then you need to ensure you are not exposed just as publicly.

Not only did American troops lose their lives this week but the long-suffering American public now are in no doubt that their President has lost complete control.

It’s not just that he’s made some of the worst foreign policy decisions, almost ever.

Unfortunately the evidence keeps mounting. Nobody can argue that his declining cognitive state isn’t a huge factor here as well.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei seems to have ignored President Biden’s warnings.

Imagine the leaders of Iran, and throw in Russia, China and North Korea for good measure, sitting around a table watching YouTube videos of Biden unable to pronounce the word “America” this month.

Losing his train of thought at least once a week.

Walking into objects, tripping up stairs, completely disorientated and these are the empathetic versions.

There is no enemy in the world, no nation, rogue state or organisation, which could watch those clips and not determine that this is the time to strike against the West.

Strong, confident dialogue and reassuring your public matters greatly in times of global uncertainty and Joe Biden would have undoubtedly thought he was doing exactly that by allaying fears regarding Iran.

The problem is Iran has just exposed him for exactly what he is. Weak, without backbone and very sadly I might add, in cognitive decline.

So instead of the public feeling safer, they have now seen first-hand their President confidently claim Iran “knows” not to target Americans, and have then alarmingly watched the Middle Eastern nation do exactly that.

Almost certain to be the Republican candidate later this year, Donald Trump may not be everyone’s cup of tea but if Biden holds on to the job, World War 3 won’t just be a chance of happening, it will be a certainty.

If our world was one of goodwill amongst nations and peace amongst all men then maybe we could afford to be super fussy when it comes to leaders, seek perfection per se.

But given it’s a globe marred by conflict, nuclear weapons, death and destruction, I’d rather the fellow they are scared of than the one they scoff at every day of the week.