Dr. William J. Parker III was interviewed by David Webb in, “Stepping outside of domestic politics” on The Hill, a US political website on 3.10.21.
“From “Stepping outside of domestic politics” featured in The Hill. Read the full article here which features SiriusXM Show host David Webb interviewing Dr. William J. Parker III, a national security expert for more than four decades. (link here to https://thehill.com/opinion/opinion/542444-webb-stepping-outside-of-domestic-politics/).
Excerpts:
David Webb: Last year you attended DAVOS and the Munich Security Conference in person, where you lead a meeting with over a dozen heads of state. So, what did you take away from President Biden’s virtual address to the 2021 Munich Security Conference?
Dr. Bill Parker: President Biden offered some very strong statements on national security, which will require significant support by the United States and our allies to execute. The president pledged that we will meet all of our Article 5 commitments. In other words, an attack on one is an attack on all.
He supports a NATO-expanded mission in Iraq to counter ISIS which could lead to engagement in other parts of the Middle East. For the time being, he is halting the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Germany. He supports bringing America’s presence in Afghanistan to an end, which could be challenging if we are engaged in expanding our counterterrorism efforts in the Middle East. The president wants to modernize the military but always lead with diplomacy — a tenant consistent with modern American statecraft.
Perhaps his most significant point was identifying that the globe is at an inflection point and that as a global people we must decide between autocracy and democracy.
Webb: How does President Biden view China and Russia?
Dr. Parker: He made the statement that we will fight for our collective values. There appeared to be a clear contrast between his assessment of the two nations, which in itself is expected, since both offer different capabilities, opportunities and potential threats.
The president made points about “stiff competition with the Chinese.” His description of Russia was even stronger, specifically discussing that the sovereignty of Ukraine must be protected. But he also mentioned the fact that he was reinstating the United States in the New START treaty.
Webb: Were there other key points that caught your attention in the president’s address?
Dr. Parker: Biological events remain the greatest external threat to America, in my opinion. This pandemic exemplifies the impact of biological threat in the future.
Webb: The Middle East appears to be in continued turmoil. Can you walk us through the major issues?
Dr. Parker: I think many of the issues around the globe can be resolved if we can figure out how to deal with China and Russia. Russia is involved directly with Syria and Turkey and is selling arms to any country where there is a void left by the U.S. or NATO — The Russian S400s in Turkey is a prime example. On the very top of Middle East issues is Iran.
Webb: The Iran nuclear deal. … Will it happen?
Dr. Parker: We are a long way from a deal. Iran has threatened to stop supporting inspectors coming into Iran if sanctions are not lifted. And the United States expects Iran to comply and to take the Iran deal much further … looking at terrorism, missiles and other issues. The idea of talking to our friends and our foes alike represents smart diplomacy. But remember Iran has threatened to annihilate the Israelis, has captured and threatened our naval vessels, and is clearly supporting the Shia who are attacking our troops in Iraq and around the world. So, while I think we can work with any country, Iran will require a lot of tough love. One last point, the Iranian people, in general, are pro-American, and what America stands for. They were our close friends before the fall off the Shah. It is the government of Iran that is the problem. And they must be kept in check.
Webb: Finally, at the start of the pandemic, and as CEO of an international organization, you transitioned your offices around the globe to remote work, well before the state or federal governments made that decision. And you sent your staff and board of directors around the globe each boxes of masks that you personally paid for in the first weeks of the pandemic. In essence, you realized the significance of this pandemic early on and had a continuity of operations plan ready to execute. Drawing on your Ph.D. in molecular and microbiology I have to ask, where are we now as a nation?
Dr. Parker: COVID deaths are declining, but we have a long way to go. Only 10 percent of the country is vaccinated, but that’s improving, as we try to establish herd immunity. The United States has done a great job with Operation Warp Speed and getting a vaccine in place quickly. It’s almost miraculous how fast we developed a vaccine. But we haven’t done a good enough job with supplying hospitals or in providing clear guidance to the population. We are a resilient nation and will bounce back economically and have realized that there will inevitably be another pandemic — either man-made or naturally occurring. For now, it’s critical to get the vaccine out to the population before the next variant takes over as the primary threat. Health measures such as washing hands, using masks and social distancing continues to be incredibly important. So, I hope we don’t take our eye off the issue before we defeat COVID-19. I also hope we prudently open businesses back up in the manner I have proposed over the past year.
David Webb is host of “The David Webb Show” on SiriusXM Patriot 125, a Fox Nation host, Fox News contributor and a frequent television commentator. His column appears twice a month in The Hill.”
https://thehill.com/opinion/opinion/542444-webb-stepping-outside-of-domestic-politics/
