By Bonnie Kristian
President-elect Joe Biden upended expectations that Obama administration veteran Michèle Flournoy would be secretary of Defense when he announced he was nominating retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin. There are reasons to be wary of what a Secretary Austin will mean for U.S. foreign policy, but — particularly compared to the hawkish Flournoy, who in the Barack Obama years often differed from Biden on major foreign policy calls — there are some welcome signs Biden chose someone who won’t hinder fulfillment of his promise to scale down U.S. military intervention in the Middle East.
Let’s start with the good. Biden has highlighted Austin's work on "the incredible task" of bringing home American forces from Iraq, calling it the Army's largest logistics operation in 60 years. "And getting it done required much more than military know-how," Biden said, praising Austin's diplomacy and representation of U.S. interests. As Biden has pledged to “end the forever wars in Afghanistan and the Middle East,” this is a great priority. A Defense secretary who shares that desire is vital.
This piece was originally published in USA Today on December 14, 2020. Read more HERE.