US lacks coherent national security strategy to oppose Iran’s proxy Global Jihad war with Israel

by Jerry Gordon and Brig. General (US Army Retired) John Adams

Jerry Gordon, a Senior Editor of The New English Review, invited retired US Army Brig. General John Adams to discuss Israel Defense Force military doctrine and strategic options in the conduct of the Jewish state’s civilizational war with Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group in Gaza. He addresses the conflict given his extensive background as a 30-year veteran of combat, staff and international military diplomatic assignments and post-service informal analysis and discussions with former Senior IDF commanders.

Watch the YouTube interview with Brig. Gen. (US Army retired) John Adams here with following transcript.

Background of General John Adams

John Adams retired as a Brigadier General from the U.S. Army in September 2007, after more than 30 years of active-duty service. His final military assignment was Deputy United States Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee in Belgium. John is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm (1991), where he earned the Bronze Star Medal, of Operation Guardian Assistance in Rwanda (1996), and served throughout the Balkans from 1998-2003. He served as a military attaché with the U.S. Embassies in South Korea, Croatia, Belgium, and Rwanda. In 2004, he served on temporary duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was deployed outside the United States for eighteen of his thirty years of active-duty service, including duty in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

He was stationed at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and participated in disaster recovery operations at the crash site.

During the past five years, he has participated in unofficial fact-finding missions in Israel, Egypt, Turkey, the Balkans, and Cuba. He has close business relationships with retired officers of the Israeli Defense Forces, several NATO Allies, and is a strong supporter of the U.S. alliance with the State of Israel and NATO.

 Among the major findings in this wide-ranging discussion are:

1. Israel PM Netanyahu rejects HAMAS cease fire and three stage 135-day hostage release cease fire plan in exchange for 9000 Palestinian as “delusional,” given that the IDF is winning the war in GAZA.
2. Israel Defense Minister Gallant estimates that 18 of 24 HAMAS bastions have been destroyed and command, control, and logistics disrupted. HAMAS leader Yahya Sinwar may have lost communications with remaining fighting units.
3. Khan Younis in GAZA is surrounded which leaves Rafah with more than one million GAZANS and four remaining HAMAS battalions. The IDF is prepared to enter Rafah after the population is evacuated. US expert John Spencer of the Urban War Center at West Point, who consults with the Pentagon, has commented that the IDF has not violated the Law of Wars in the current operations and has minimized civilian casualties in contrast to the US’ own experience during the Second Iraq War.
4. IDF estimates that 80 of 139 Israel Hostages may be remaining in captivity by HAMAS in GAZA. This raises concerns whether they have been removed by HAMAS from tunnels in Khan Younis to those in Rafah.
5. Israel has raised the option of a haven for Sinwar and other HAMAS officials and fighters akin to the 1983 evacuation to Tunisia of Yasser Arafat and PLO fighters surrounded by IDF forces in Beirut in Israel’s first Lebanon War. The proposal presumes immediate release of Israeli hostages as a condition of the proposed haven option for HAMAS leaders and units.
6. The Biden Administration persists in demanding Israel remove all forces at conclusion of IDF operations in Swords of Iron in GAZA and establishing Palestinian Authority (PA) control in GAZA under alleged sovereignty. The proposal is deemed by Israel and analysts as inoperable as both PA and HAMAS share the same ideology – destruction of the Jewish State of Israel and support for terrorism: e.g., PA “Pay for Slay” program for Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli jails.
7. Direct connection between Iran and HAMAS leader Sinwar was exposed by the IDF with the discovery of over $157 million of funds from Iran. The likely Iranian sources for such terrorism payments come from billions in released oil funds by the US, and profits in international drug trade.
8. Upwards of 80,000 Israelis remain unable to live in towns and villages on the northern border with Lebanon under constant threat of rocket, drone and anti-tank missile strikes. US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein has failed to negotiate a final border with Lebanon and removal of Hezbollah Radwan forces beyond the Litani River line. The IDF Northern Commander is prepared to undertake operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah ramps up attacks across the border.
9. Prominent US media analysts have pushed comprehensive Middle East peace proposals in the open, rather than holding behind the scenes discussions with White House and alliance partners thereby imposing draconian conditions on Israeli sovereignty.
10. US and UK coalition air and naval strikes on Iran proxy Yemeni Houthi Rebels drone and ballistic missile bases and radar installations appears to have no deterrent effect seeking to alleviate threats to commercial vessels at the Bab Al Mandab entrance to the Red Sea. Houthi commanders have defied the coalition declaring that they will continue these disruptive and dangerous attacks.
11. Iranian naval vessels in the Gulf of Aden supply target intelligence to Houthi Rebels attacking US and coalition naval and international commercial shipping vessels. That has raised questions of whether Iranian naval assets should be struck in retaliation.
12. The spectacular precision-targeted US drone strike in Baghdad that took out the commander of the Kata’ib Hezbollah may have temporarily deterred the Iran Shia militias of the Islamic Resistance. These militias are part of the Iraq government which seeks removal of 2,500 US troops based at installations in the country. US forces in Iraq have sustained 147 attacks by the Shia proxy militias.
13. The use of B-1 bombers in a reprisal raid on targets in Yemen, Syria and Iraq for the deaths of three US servicemen and injuries sustained by 47 others at US base Tower 22 in Jordan near Syria sent a message about US intentions to Iran’s Islamist leaders and the Middle East. Iran, as it pursues weaponization of stocks of enriched uranium approaching 90%, which if reached could be used to build and test a nuclear device.
14. The Biden Administration has no coherent US national security strategy for deterring the Global Jihad objectives of Iran, which foments a rapidly escalating Middle East war with Israel, while Iran is on the cusp of a nuclear capability. Israel and Arab signatories of the Abraham Accords are justifiably concerned that this could become a palpable devastating reality.