In this Nov. 27, 2020 photo released by the U.S. Navy, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Marnell Maglasang, from La Puente, Calif., directs an F/A-18E Super Hornet on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Arabian Sea. The Nimitz returned to the Mideast after earlier spending months in the region. The Pentagon described it as a move to support the drawdown of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, the Nimitz’s announced arrival to the Mideast came after the killing of an Iranian scientist who founded the Islamic Republic’s military nuclear program in the early 2000s. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Cheyenne Geletka/U.S. Navy via AP) (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Cheyenne Geletka/AP)

China, Iran, and Russia test Biden’s weakness

Washington Examiner December 20, 09:16 AM December 20, 09:24 AM Video Embed

The United States faces a rising challenge from China, Russia, and Iran. These adversaries are attempting to distract and divide U.S. military forces, straining America’s ability to act decisively in any one location.

In the Red Sea, Iran-supported Houthi rebels are launching drone, missile, and hijacking attacks on international shipping lanes. Fearing threats to life and property and suffering surging insurance costs for Red Sea transits, shipping firms are diverting their cargo around Africa. This adds delays and costs to the global economy. It is likely to lead to higher costs for consumers.

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The U.S. has announced a bolstered international maritime security compact to secure Red Sea transit routes, but this project faces two challenges. First, key allies such as Germany can’t be bothered to contribute to the compact even though it directly affects their economic interests. The freeloading issue remains ever-present. Second, the Biden administration refuses to address the challenge at its source: the Houthis. Even though an aircraft carrier strike group is sitting just off the Yemeni coast, President Joe Biden has yet to order strikes against the Houthis. They and their Iranian patrons thus have no reason not to keep doing what they’re doing, which is to say, attacking international shipping with impunity.

That’s just one side of the coin.

On the other side of the world, China, which claims to value Middle Eastern stability and seek a broader role in providing for it, won’t contribute to the Red Sea security compact. On the contrary, China is escalating its own pressure against international freedom of navigation. Dozens of Chinese militia vessels are regularly firing water cannons at Philippine ships operating within Manila’s exclusive economic zone. The Chinese vessels are also engaged in acoustic, laser, and ramming attacks. Since the Philippines is a U.S. treaty defense ally, this action is cause for significant concern.

As with his response to the Houthis and Iran, however, Biden’s response to China’s antics has been timid at best. While a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group is ported in nearby Singapore, Biden has failed to make a show of force in Manila’s defense. This has put President Ferdinand Marcos, a resolute and pro-American leader, into a difficult position. Biden risks allowing Beijing to believe that U.S. distraction over the situations in the Red Sea and Gaza affords it space to advance its aggression against Manila.

Other threats abound. Russia has the capacity to increase its threats in the Arctic and the Atlantic Ocean. President Vladimir Putin has shown a repeated penchant for taking advantage of perceived American distraction. But because of woefully inadequate defense investments and capabilities on the part of many American allies, the U.S. Navy remains forced to carry an outsize role in Europe’s defense. With three U.S. aircraft carriers deployed and one at high readiness for deployment, the U.S. has little spare capacity to deal with escalating simultaneous threats at different points across the world.

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In turn, it is important that Biden show strength against the Houthis and Chinese in fear of encouraging either or both of them to ramp up their aggression. Or risk seeing Russia do the same alongside them. Better to restore deterrence and put one or both of these adversaries back in their place than have to deal with the increasingly ambitious threats in tandem. This situation is also a reminder of why investment in a stronger U.S. military industrial base is required. Indeed, China’s surging construction of new warships is cause alone for that investment.

America is being tested. Biden must act with greater clarity of purpose and strength. The trajectory of escalation is clearly moving against U.S. interests, and if adversaries around the world continue to push and find only American mush, they will keep pushing until they hit the arteries.

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