Posted on 12/24/2023 5:03:03 AM PST by FarCenter
WASHINGTON -- Japan's decision to ship Patriot missiles to the U.S. to help backfill stocks of air-defense systems for Ukraine has surprised analysts focusing on Indo-Pacific affairs.
Many have questioned the rationale of taking weapons out of the Indo-Pacific for a battle in Europe when the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has said all along that China is the pacing threat.
The transfer of Patriots was a request from the U.S. side. This suggests that the Biden administration has concluded that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is not imminent. While many in Washington agree to that assessment, some oppose shifting attention away from the Indo-Pacific.
The government of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida "has made a fundamental error in going along with the Biden administration's prioritization of Europe," said Elbridge Colby, a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development.
"We have sent weapons that we cannot replace in a timely fashion, we have distracted the attention of the defense industrial base and we've spent over $100 billion on Ukraine," said Colby, co-founder and principal at Washington strategic think tank The Marathon Initiative.
"Japan cannot say, 'We should go along with Ukraine and we'll wait our turn.' Asia needs to come first," Colby, said. "That is the rhetorical position of the U.S., but it has to be the actual position."
Jennifer Kavanagh, senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, called it a "shortsighted decision," both by Japan and the U.S.
"Most assessments suggest that Japan doesn't have enough air defense to defend its own air bases in the event of a Chinese attack. To draw down its stocks further incurs a significant risk," she said.
Last year, the Japanese Defense Ministry announced that the country currently only holds around 60% of interceptor missiles needed to defend the country.
"It says something about the Biden administration's priorities," Kavanagh added. "They are willing to prioritize arming Ukraine over Asia despite their pronouncement that Asia is the priority theater for the United States."
Seems like the Biden family feels it has a hell of a lot to lose if The Ukraine falls to Russia. Calling in all sorts of favors now.
The Chicoms aren’t going to tell anyone when they will attack Taiwan. They may tell Joek just beforehand so he can stand down our military.
Boy Ukraine sure does help the Military Industrial Complex.
Attack?
Snort.
The ChiComs don’t need to fire a shot.
The ChiComs just buy the pols.
Japan’s are for sale, too.
And I think Abe’s assassination was done to send a message.
We all know Biden’s ways now, and I suspect his plan if China invades Taiwan is to do what he did in Afghanistan. That is, pull out the military and leave all weapons and equipment for the Chinese.
Biden was never held accountable for the Afghanistan fiasco.
What’s the administration going to do when their promised Soviet invasion of the Baltics and Poland happens? Do you suppose the Israelis will send us back some of our munitions?
In other words, and I'm paraphrasing here, It's Imminent.
Military Industrial Complex $$$$$ ALERT!
Not at all clear. It might suggest the Biden administration is reacting to a request from their boss in China.
“… U.S. President Joe Biden has said all along that China is the pacing threat…”
Biden said during the 2020 campaign China was not a threat. He’s been wrong on every issue for fifty plus years.
The Ukes are using the Patriot creatively and effectively. They just ambushed and destroyed 3 Russian SU-34s in one day, which is a significant blow to the Russian air force. After the war is said and done, we could learn a thing or three from them.
Why don’t the experts conclude that China has bought off the Biden Administration? And that it is a clear signal to the Chinese to go ahead with their efforts in the neighborhood?
Within the last two years, Russia has caused the deindustrialization of Germany and the disarmament of the West and its allies. It seems Putin is achieving a victory.
Tempestuous tepottius
Drivel, delliusional drivel
The North Koreans will almost certainly start a diversionary attack …or maybe see this as the time to drive the US out of northeast Asia. Japan would be in line.
Biden has also raided artillery shells from inventory of the ROK
Wrong move. It’s the Javelin missiles that will decide the course of the war.
Oh wait, that was so 2022.
This is how far we have fallen. We have to get weapons from Japan.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.