Biden called Austin “the man we need at the moment,” and the retired four-star general praised the “best choice”, but critics asked if the former warlord had the political chops to fight the military budget cuts. They discuss Austin’s suitability for a role on the world stage, and wonder if his experience prepares him to confront the increasingly determined China, develop new tools in cyber warfare and other fields, and reassure allies about American credibility. All of those questions are expected to turn the decorated 40-year-old veteran’s confirmation investigation into a challenge. Austin will have to fight these suspicions beforehand because he will meet with lawmakers next week, and the Biden group will reluctantly push members of Congress to offer a discount to the recently retired general to serve as civilian leader. Speaking at Wilmington in Delaware on Wednesday, Austin said he “understands the key role of the defense sector and its role in maintaining stability, preventing aggression and protecting and supporting important alliances around the world.” Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has given his approval to the 67-year-old candidate. Biden said in a statement that Powell was “making a great choice in choosing General Lloyd Austin as the next Secretary of Defense.” Austin led his military career. “General Austin has served brilliantly in the Armed Forces at all levels of war and civilization. He has demonstrated his militant skills and his bureaucratic, diplomatic and political intelligence.” Powell said Biden and Austin would “be a great team.” But fellow retired generals and former defense officials have been critical of Austin’s record in Iraq – Biden told a Atlantic newspaper that Austin “played the job” and was instrumental in bringing 150,000 U.S. troops home from the battlefield. “Austin did not publicly argue for an additional U.S. military presence in Iraq, but wanted to keep about 24,000 troops there after 2011, and The Washington Post said it had been thwarted. An earlier agreement between the United States and Iraq had decided to expel all U.S. troops from Syria and Iraq. Many retreated with the rise of ISIS, which coincided with Austin’s time in a period of U.S. federal command that saw the capture of the terrorist group. ‘Divorced from reality’ Took to Twitter. “POTUS-selected logic for the exam ‘The’ successful ‘result of the 2011 war effort ???” Thomas wrote. “Defeat ISIS Should I go back to Iraq and then dream of an additional bonus for Syria 2 years later? ”Former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter also criticized Austin’s record in Iraq, describing the military plan for counter-ISIS operations. One issue “in a 2017 article for Harvard University’s Belfer Center. It relied on Iraqi military organizations, which were rarely on paper, in fact aside. “Austin’s assessment was met with public criticism. During the Senate Armed Services Inquiry in 2015, then-President John McCain objected to Austin’s relative confidence in the fight against ISIS, despite the group’s major war gains.” No dramatic gains on either side. “One year after the ISIS capture of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city,” Austin said. Austin, one of the administration’s biggest defeats in the fight against ISIS, has become a public figure, admitting to Congress that only “four or five” militants remain in the Pentagon’s $ 500 million program to train Syrians to fight the terrorist group. Outside of appearances, Austin’s accessibility and lack of accessibility and transparency allowed him to avoid comments on controversial Obama administration policies while in uniform, but critics say they have not tested him for a role that brings serious media scrutiny. Austin, who served as a top military official overseeing the Middle East, rarely spoke to the media, unlike his predecessors or successors, and often took journalists with him when he visited various campaign venues – which helped build public understanding of the mission. Austin’s staff once suggested that cameras be removed from his 2014 speech to the Atlantic Council think tank, which was one of his few public appearances. Austin has a similarly low profile in retirement. When he appeared Wednesday, he was not elected president, vice president, or picked up any questions from the Austin media. This may have provided an opportunity to publicly address concerns that Austin has no background in tackling the biggest security challenges facing the United States. , Especially China. “Even a good defense secretary should take the organization in the right direction: a major power struggle with China. Nothing about Austin’s background suggests he deserves to do this,” said Oriana Skyler Maestro, a central fellow at the Freeman Spockley Institute for International Studies at Stanford University -Written by Edel. “His experience in fighting insurgents and terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan is often inappropriate to prevent and, if necessary, to defeat a nearby rival.” Maestro said, focusing on Chinese military and security policy. The Biden National Security Council emphasizes the importance of rebuilding alliances to meet challenges from China, Russia and Iran and to address transnational threats such as climate change. Speaking in Wilmington on Wednesday, Austin Pitton said, “Sir, as you said before, I firmly believe that the United States is strong when it acts with its allies.” But many analysts say President Donald Trump’s first US policy and political turmoil has deeply undermined allies’ confidence in the United States as a diplomatic and military partner over the past four years. “The perception among allies and allies is that the US defense strategy will be increasingly crippled by institutional breakdowns, political / social polarization, and the widening gap between policymakers’ perspectives and the role of the U.S. military in the world,” he said. Beyond inheriting a defense strategy that could prioritize a major power struggle with Russia and China, Austin faces a long list of serious challenges, including North Korea’s nuclear challenge, Iran’s destabilizing regional activities and its own nuclear ambitions and ongoing struggle. Islamic extremism. “This is a lofty order,” said former Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman, noting that Austin will have to deal with all of that when dealing with the Govt-related costs and a budget that is being eroded by progressives in the Democratic Party. For safety. “It’s a huge strategic challenge for him,” said Edelman, now a consultant with the Center for Strategic and Budget Assessment. Edelman said the military budget had risen roughly in the first three years of the Trump administration, a mere 3% increase, and had actually fallen by about 1.7% this year. “Contrary to President Trump’s claim that his increase has rebuilt the military, what they have done is buy back some of the preparations that were lost in a decade of cuts,” Edelman said. “There is nowhere to fill the gap between the operational challenges we face tonight, while it may take five, 10, 15 years to invest in future capabilities.” Those capabilities include Internet, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, missile defense and space technology pouring China money. “All of those things are important,” Edelman said. “If your budget is shrinking, how do you do it, invest all of those skills and maintain the ability to fight today?” He asked. A damaged company will face pressure as a result of the Austin Govt-19, which is a logistics and health challenge for the military and a budget, Gaddy said. Govt has contributed to the increase in the amount of government debt and the fact that rising interest payments will “affect the defense budget and discretionary spending in one way or another”, Gaddy said. “Both American political and military culture are built on this idea of the vast resources that can be thrown at any issue,” Gaddy added. , Where analysts say he will get a company that has suffered from politicization under Trump. The president has passed six acting or confirmed defense secretaries in four years, recently removing Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and ousting other senior officials and appointing political loyalists to replace them. Edelman said Austin was “going to inherit a damaged company.” CNN’s Jack Topper contributed to this report. .
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