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The “Don’t” Doctrine - Saturday’s attack on Israel has laid bare the failure of Biden’s strategy of pressure on allies and meekness toward Iran.
City Journal ^ | 15 Apr, 2024 | Eitan Fischberger

Posted on 04/16/2024 6:45:02 AM PDT by MtnClimber

Turns out that simply saying “don’t” is not an effective deterrent against genocidal regimes hellbent on the destruction of Israel—and the United States. On October 18, 2023, merely 11 days after the Hamas-led massacre against Israel, President Joe Biden issued a warning to any state or hostile actor considering attacking Israel: “Don’t, don’t, don’t.” And yet, Israel has faced relentless bombardments from multiple Iranian proxies for the last six months. The ineffectiveness of Biden’s strategy was on full display again this past weekend, when the president issued a similar warning to Iran against striking Israel, this time with a single “don’t.” Predictably, this did nothing to halt the rogue state, which launched 300 drones and missiles at Israel late Saturday night. Almost all were intercepted, thanks to the combined efforts of Israel, the U.S., the U.K., France, and several Arab states.

The Biden administration’s response to this attack was not to commit to taking action against Iran but to caution Israel against retaliating. Reports have even surfaced that the administration informed Iran through Turkish intermediaries that its onslaught must be kept “within certain limits,” essentially acquiescing to moderated aggression. The notion that Israel should not retaliate against an Iranian missile strike, marking the first assault on Israel launched directly from Iran, is untenable for both Israelis and Americans. This is, after all, the same regime that paints “Death to America” on its missiles during training exercises and whose proxies killed three American servicemen in January. Iran’s agenda is clear: to destroy the so-called Great Satan, America, which requires first eliminating the Little Satan, Israel.

Israel should not be penalized for having top-notch aerial defense capabilities. Yet, that’s exactly what appears to be occurring, with President Biden reportedly dissuading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from greenlighting a retaliatory strike, partly because Iran’s drone and missile barrage caused so little damage.

This capitulation to aggression against a key ally embodies the flaws of Biden’s “don’t” doctrine: words followed by minimal action toward adversaries, and pressure on allies not to respond to attacks. It’s an approach that recalls the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the tepid response to Houthi terrorist-pirates attacking American-owned vessels and destabilizing crucial shipping lanes. Thanks to the “don’t” doctrine, Iran has established a new status quo: it can fire scores of rockets and drones at an American ally and emerge materially unscathed.

The only saving grace of the “don’t” doctrine, and the associated capitulation to Iranian aggression, is that it inadvertently highlights an important truth often overlooked by the U.S. government, media, and punditry: that the Iranian regime is fundamentally responsible for the ongoing chaos in the Middle East and the deaths in Israel and Gaza.

Moreover, the situation underscores the potential of the Abraham Accords, the series of agreements seeking to normalize Israel’s relations with Arab states. Jordan’s and Saudi Arabia’s participation in the joint defense effort against Iran’s attack demonstrates how security cooperation between Israel and Arab states can enhance regional stability—a potential nearly derailed by the Biden administration’s initial reluctance to embrace the accords.

The U.S. urgently needs a shift in strategy. Biden must abandon his ineffective “don’t” doctrine and adopt a more assertive regional posture. This does not mean deploying American ground troops, a move widely opposed in the U.S. and Israel alike. It does, however, mean rallying Democratic support for unconditional defensive weapon sales to Israel, allowing Israel to strike back at Iran, reinstating the embargoes on Iranian drones and missiles that expired in 2020, and initiating a broad international sanctions regime to isolate Iran further.

Unfortunately, the G–7 summit convened by President Biden to address Iran’s attack resulted only in a strongly worded statement condemning the Tehran regime. The administration needs to do much better than this.


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: biden; dontdoctrine; eitanfischberger; fjb; foreignpolicy; gaza; hamas; iran; iranattacksisrael; irgc; israel; leftism; putinistas; qudsforce; war; waronterror; yemen
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1 posted on 04/16/2024 6:45:02 AM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

This is likely not Biden’s fault. It is probably Barak 0bama and Valerie Jarrett’s plan. Biden is just following orders.


2 posted on 04/16/2024 6:45:16 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: MtnClimber

The only strategy Biden and Co. have is a large supply of white flags.


3 posted on 04/16/2024 6:47:56 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: MtnClimber

Even the communist imbeciles who pull his strings must know articulation of the “Don’t” doctrine followed by inaction makes him sound like a feckless idiot to even low information voters


4 posted on 04/16/2024 6:51:28 AM PDT by j.havenfarm (23 years on Free Republic, 12/10/23! More than 8,000 replies and still not shutting up!)
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To: MtnClimber

Biden is incapable of formulating more than a one word response. Very embarrassing. His brain is mush.


5 posted on 04/16/2024 6:51:47 AM PDT by The_Media_never_lie ( )
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To: MtnClimber

He wasn’t saying “don’t” to Iran. He was saying “don’t” to American oil producers.


6 posted on 04/16/2024 6:55:13 AM PDT by Daveinyork
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To: MtnClimber

“..President Biden reportedly dissuading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from greenlighting a retaliatory strike, partly because Iran’s drone and missile barrage caused so little damage.“

Why wasn’t this “logic” used for J6???

All those prisoners should basically have to pay for a broken window or two and maybe some carpet cleaning… but no, they’re facing YEARS in the American gulag.


7 posted on 04/16/2024 7:02:17 AM PDT by joethedrummer (We can't vote our way out of this, folks..)
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To: MtnClimber

The “don’t doctrine” ii Biden again doing what he does best, plagiarizing.

The “don’t” idea was borrowed from parents, who warn their sons/daughters to not do something they could be punished for. “Don’t” do that, don’t go there, don’t play rough, don’t ea that, don’t talk back, etc.

T
he country has devolved into a childish method of foreign policy and national defense.

And just like children often rebel against what parents don’t want them to do, our enemies often go and do what Biden and company tell them to ‘don’t’ do.

Biden’s childish foreign policy is the stupidest ever. But, stupid is as stupid does.


8 posted on 04/16/2024 7:07:24 AM PDT by adorno (CCH)
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To: The_Media_never_lie

Biden is a puppet of the CCP, but even they can’t keep him from tangling up the strings they’ve attached to him so badly that he makes a fool not only of himself, but of them!


9 posted on 04/16/2024 7:10:13 AM PDT by milagro (There is no peace in appeasement! There)
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To: MtnClimber

He was slurring “donut”. As in “I ran gotta donut”?


10 posted on 04/16/2024 7:11:49 AM PDT by HYPOCRACY (Brandon's pronouns: Xi/Hur)
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To: joethedrummer

While Hamas supporters are allowed to “protest” without ANY consequences!


11 posted on 04/16/2024 7:15:20 AM PDT by milagro (There is no peace in appeasement! There)
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To: MtnClimber

I wouldn’t let Biden off the hook on this. He has never had a clue about foreign policy, and with his judgment even more impaired by dementia, he thinks he is doing a fine job. He told Putin a “minor border incursion ” would not trigger a response. He now tells the mullahs just keep it within certain limits.

He thinks he can just tinker with events and fine tune the policies of the enemy. Delusional. Dangerous stuff, and getting worse.


12 posted on 04/16/2024 7:16:26 AM PDT by hinckley buzzard ( Resist the narrative. )
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To: MtnClimber

It’s really just the same failed Obama “don’t call my bluff” strategy. He says “no” with his mouth while signaling “yes” with all his actions.


13 posted on 04/16/2024 7:22:58 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: MtnClimber

In addition the Biden cabal is lying about the Iranian attack, trying to spin the attack as not successful or very damaging as if that was Iran’s intentions, pretending Iran was not seeking a very damaging result. They are falsely minimizing Iranian intentions based on the results, when everyone knows the results had noting to do with Iranian intentions and everything to do with the mulitple defenses put up against the attack.


14 posted on 04/16/2024 7:24:05 AM PDT by Wuli ( )
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To: MtnClimber

15 posted on 04/16/2024 7:33:24 AM PDT by Tom Tetroxide
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To: MtnClimber

Only little girls are afraid of Joe Biden.


16 posted on 04/16/2024 7:37:45 AM PDT by wny
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To: MtnClimber

There is no,actual power to back,up the “dont”, and the world knows it- the world knows that biden will always capitulate to terrorist demands, and so the “dont” was for the cameras, not an actual threat of retaliation if the terrorists did, which they did!

Had president Trump said “don’t”, you can bet Iran wouldn’t have because they know he means it, and that he does not capitulate to, and placate terrorists!


17 posted on 04/16/2024 7:39:34 AM PDT by Bob434
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To: MtnClimber
What's laughable is how John Kirby only wants to talk about the United States' response to the attack and the missiles we shot down (and armament we spent).

He doesn't want to talk about our diplomatic failure to prevent the attack in the first place.

It's the classic story of the person who wants credit for putting out the fire that they failed to prevent in the first place.

-PJ

18 posted on 04/16/2024 7:46:14 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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To: MtnClimber

This is likely not Biden’s fault. It is probably Barak 0bama and Valerie Jarrett’s plan. Biden is just following orders.


Bingo . Piles of cash by Barry O. fortunately this was discovered.

Barry plan is to fundamentally change America, and if its to a Muslim controlled country thats ok.

The farce of electing him to right some perceived civil justice showing through. in the actions of Joey, who was there when this plan was hatched.


19 posted on 04/16/2024 7:46:46 AM PDT by patriotspride (Third generation Vet. Never forget the true cost of freedom)
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To: Political Junkie Too

What’s laughable is how John Kirby only wants to talk about the United States’ response to the attack and the missiles we shot down (and armament we spent)


So John. What % did the US shoot down versus the other countries. No one will ask that simple question.


20 posted on 04/16/2024 7:49:08 AM PDT by patriotspride (Third generation Vet. Never forget the true cost of freedom)
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