Ex-Trump security adviser backtracks on proposal to send all Marines to Asia

[sl8]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/23/trump-national-security-robert-obrien-marines-asia-china

Ex-Trump security adviser backtracks on proposal to send all Marines to Asia

Robert O’Brien explains his outline to sever US-China economic ties would only be to send in ‘fighting force’

Edward Helmore
Sun 23 Jun 2024 17.00 EDT

Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Robert O’Brien – tipped to play a leading role if the ex-president returns to the White House – backtracked on parts of his proposal to sever US-China economic ties, an aspect of which called for sending the entire US Marine Corps to Asia.

O’Brien, who recently submitted a 5,000-word article outlining his thinking to Foreign Affairs, explained on Sunday that instead of the “entire US Marine Corps”, it would be only the “fighting force”. And he said some Marines would still be stationed at bases like California’s Camp Pendleton and North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune.

“We want to stop a war, and the way to stop the war is through strength,” O’Brien said on Sunday’s edition of CBS Face the Nation. “Moving the Marine Corps to the Pacific and moving the carrier battle group to the Pacific would show the kind of strength needed to deter a war.”

In the essay, titled The Return of Peace Through Strength, O’Brien argued for the US to help expand the militaries of Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam; increase military assistance to Taiwan; and boost missile defense as well as fighter jet protection in the region.

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[Hekate]

1. MAGAs are insane

[Irish_Dem]

2. Does he understand how dangerous and stupid this is?

I don't even have any formal strategic military training and it sure looks foolish and unwise to me.

1. You cannot deploy your entire military to one location.
2. You cannot leave huge areas of your country and world unprotected.
3. It is very expensive to send all of one military branch to one location.
4. Who houses, clothes, feeds them with such a sudden big deployment?

5. China is very aggressive, irrational, and all about symbolism and posturing.
They have the world's largest army, but not much combat experience.

6. If the US were to get directly into China's face like this, it would be a huge
provocation.

7. China is itching for a fight. China's military would love to show off.

8. I don't even want to think about what Kim Jong UN would do.

9. We have strong wonderful allies in the Pacific, Japan, South Korea, Philippines,
Taiwan, Guam, etc. This action could result in their deaths and destruction.

[BoRaGard]

3. "Yeah, send the suckers and losers to Asia." - G.O.P. Draft Dodger in Chief (Felon)

[617Blue]

4. Trump's "tough on Jina" rhetoric is an act.

The Chinese know he doesn't care about their expansionism and human rights abuses.