The Obama administration is purposely gutting the U.S. military in an effort to send a message to the world that America is not strong, retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely, who appeared Thursday on
Newsmax TV's "America's Forum" to discuss a variety of national security topics.
"They are intentionally weakening our military so that we don't look strong in the world anymore," he said. "There's no more peace through strength and we've lost that. The military knows this and we're encouraging the senior military, the joints chief of staff to start to stand up and say no more. We've got too many threats against America, we've got to be stronger each and every day and have the best force again in the entire world to protect the American people. That's what they need to do."
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It's "unbelievable" that Secretary of State John Kerry would tell Congress that America is under less of a daily threat of violence than at any time in the last century, Vallely said.
"They approved the marijuana a little too early because they're all inhaling it and they're not in the same world that many of us in the national security business are. The American people are at greater risk than ever because of our borders, radical Islam and the threats of Iran, North Korea, Russia, China and cyberterrorism. It's perplexing that he would make a statement like that."
On the release of the identity of
"Jihad John," the British national who beheaded two U.S. journalists as well as aid workers, Vallely said he will likely have to be captured in a ground operation.
"We can get him through the Free Syrian Army by snatching him out of one of those villages, the special ops team taking him from the Brits, the French or the U.S., but certainly he's on the ground," said Vallely. "He's probably working out of Syria."
Advanced voice recognition programs and other technology makes it possible to pinpoint exactly where he is, Vallely added.
Vallely is highly suspect of Iran, who he believes already has nukes.
"Iran works directly with North Korea," he explained. "That's why I feel Iran already has a nuclear capability because the North Koreans have tested their command control and nuclear warhead. Every time North Korea has any kind of a test, there's always Iranians on the ground. You've got the dual threat there of Iran with nuclear capability and North Korea who are avowed enemies of the United States."
The biggest threat to the United States' military preparedness, according to Vallely, is the Obama administration and their continual slashing of support for advanced weapons systems.
The White House is "purging the system of training abilities and having the funding available to continue to put together and to have a very effective strike force combination of Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and so on," he said.
Across the globe, the U.S. is not viewed "as the credible armed forces that we used to," he said.
"When you talk about readiness, the inability to project force across the world, you look at what's happening in Syria and Iraq that we're weakened so much now that some military officers say we cannot, as an armed force, effectively accomplish our missions anymore.
"That's a travesty in this whole national security arrangement being directed from the White House. We hope (Defense Secretary) Ash Carter will stand up."
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