National Security Priorities After November

Should Republicans gain control of the House in November there will be several decisions they will be obliged to address.

First and foremost is the Iranian nuclear weapons question. Iran probably has enough fissionable material to build a bomb, but they are about a year away from weaponizing their missiles. Within this year steps must be taken to prevent this eventuality. Contingency plans of every variety must be entertained from military options to a blockade in order to neutralize Iranian ambitions.

Second, the U.S. must demonstrate that it is prepared to defend its Middle East regional interests. A signal to withdraw military forces from the area is a signal for Iran to fill the political vacuum. Moreover, U.S. withdrawal plans complicate the so-called Middle East peace talks since Hamas and Hezbollah, that act as Iranian proxies, can undermine the negotiations engendering warfare.

Third, the U.S. must act to forestall Chinese adventurism through Asian alliances, defense pacts and joint military maneuvers. Japan and India, soon to be joined by South Korea, have engaged in maneuvers aimed at neutralizing possible Chinese ambitions. At the same time, the United States must let North Korea understand that its saber rattling is unacceptable and will lead to serious penalties, albeit without Chinese cooperation our options are limited.

Fourth, the Republican party should attempt to bolster ties to Democratic governments in South America, e.g. Colombia, that can offset the influence of Chavezism and indigenizes extremist groups. The trade agreement with our allies in South America should be passed and encouraged as a sign of good will.

Fifth, with Turkey shifting its allegiance to Iran, it can no longer be relied on as the military force defending the southern tier of NATO. A reevaluation of the U.S. commitment to NATO is therefore critical with an emphasis on the potential Iranian threat in Europe.

Sixth, the drug cartels now shaping conditions in the southern border states with Mexico must be countered. Some would argue the U.S. has lost control of its southern border from the standpoint of immigration. If necessary, National Guard troops should be used to deal with this threat.

Last, the Republicans need a top down review of national security priorities with an examination of multilateral commitments and unilateral capabilities. It is not enough to assume the U.N. can be the appropriate channel for the expression of American foreign policy. The question that must be addressed is how to wed capabilities to indispensable commitments and interests and how to involve allies in this task without sacrificing national sovereignty.