OPINION:
The Putin propaganda monument is an insult to the more than 100 million victims of communism. Seven million of these victims fled from the Soviet Army at the end of World War II, which brought Joseph Stalin’s murderous dictatorship to Central Europe. The Soviets had many confrontations with the U.S. Army, at one time refusing previously agreed-upon U.S. entrance to Berlin. Only after the 2nd Armored Division was poised to enter Berlin by force did the Soviets relent. Despite the U.S. Army saving many people, about five-and-a-half million individuals were returned from Europe to Russia, and nearly two million of these had been prisoners of war. Most were sent to Soviet death camps, where they perished.
President Putin is now winning the Ukraine cease-fires and has won the war in Syria. Meanwhile, President Obama orders climate-change operations in military activities regardless of cost, regulatory restrictions or performance reductions. Mr. Putin’s many treaty and ceasefire violations go unpunished, as the United States and Europe continue to stall on providing Kiev with lethal aid that would impose higher costs on Mr. Putin’s incursions.
In view of Mr. Putin’s threats, Congress must oppose Mr. Obama’s plans to tie the hands of our military with red tape. Mr. Obama must be prevented from further eliminating our strategic defense shield by refusing to modernize or maintain our shrinking and decaying nuclear arsenal and eliminating our nuclear deterrent. Mr. Obama must be prevented from further erasing our border, conducting more self-defeating arms-reduction treaties with Mr. Putin, and cutting naval and air forces any further.
As America disarms more, our enemies see Mr. Obama’s last year in office as an opportunity to take what they can while they can. Iran has humiliated our navy by detaining sailors and showing Americans as prisoners to the world. The Islamic State is not seriously degraded as promised and operates on a global scale. Ukraine is under attack by Russian troops as more forces are sent and bases built along Ukrainian borders. North Korea tests ever larger nuclear weapons and makes new threats. Finally, renewed relations have not changed the tyranny in Cuba, where 500 dissidents were arrested following the recent Obama visit.
LT. COL. DOMINIK GEORGE NARGELE
U.S. Marine Corps (retired)
Arlington
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