As reported on AntiWar.com, presidential candidate Joe Biden gave an interview to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes on 10 September in which he pledged not to reduce military spending if he were elected.
Mr. Biden made it clear that it might be necessary to increase the military budget. He said, “I’ve met with a number of my advisors and some have suggested in certain areas the budget is going to be increased.”
Mr. Biden criticized President Trump for his failure to confront Russia and, according to the article, said the U.S. military is being strained in their relationship with NATO, stating, “They’re worried as hell about our failure to confront Russia diplomatically or other ways.”
Regarding the Middle East, Mr. Biden said, “These ‘forever wars’ have to end. I support drawing down the troops. But here’s the problem, we still have to worry about terrorism and the Islamic State.” He promised to keep a force in the region.
According to Stars and Stripes, “Biden said conditions in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are so complicated that he cannot promise full withdrawal of troops in the near future.”
Also reported on AntiWar.com, Biden’s past decisions about the region have been criticized, none more so than his backing of President George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. “I do not believe this is a rush to war,” said Biden, who was the chair of the Senate committee on foreign relations at the time. “I believe it is a march to peace and security. I believe that failure to overwhelmingly support this resolution is likely to enhance the prospects that war will occur.”
It should be noted that on 23 July, both Democrats as well as Republicans overwhelmingly passed a record military budget of $738 billion.
TREND FORECAST: President Trump will accuse his challenger, Joe Biden, of being pro-war. While it will not win him votes from staunch Democrats, it will weaken Biden’s position among pro-peace advocates.
Moreover, as we wrote in the Trends Journal last week, to show he is living up to his campaign promise of wrapping up wars that have lasted for years, President Trump has ordered up to 5,200 U.S. troops out of Iraq.
And, as we forecast last year, there will be some kind of a peace deal with Afghanistan and North Korea before Election Day.
