Senator Lindsey Graham slams Biden administration for 'failing' US troops on field on 'Fox & Friends'
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Republican Senator Lindsey Graham appeared as a guest on the December 27 episode of 'Fox & Friends' to discuss the attacks on American soldiers amid the war between Israel and Hamas.
Joining co-hosts Griff Jenkins, Carley Shimkus, and Joey Jones, the 68-year-old senator claimed that the Biden administration is "failing" the troops that are out in the field.
Lindsey Graham shares his take on the attacks on US troops
Shimkus brought the subject up for discussion, asking, "We are now at 103 attacks on our troops in Syria... 21 international vessels have also been attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea. How did we get to these numbers?"
"Weakness," began Graham in response. "We're fighting the Houthis. We beat the Germans and the Japanese. We should be able to beat the Houthis. Secretary Austin and the Biden administration's failing our troops in the field."
While he expressed his admiration for Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin and called him a "patriot," the senator was still of the opinion that he was "not doing a good job" protecting American soldiers.
"The Houthis are completely backed by Iran. I've been saying for six months now, hit Iran. They have oil fields out in the open. They have the Revolutionary Guard headquarters. You can see from space, blow it off the map," continued Graham.
"If you really want to protect American soldiers, make it real to the Ayatollah," he concluded.
US Navy engaged a Houthi vessel on December 26
A senior defense official reportedly told Fox News that the Navy shot down anti-ship ballistic missiles launched by incoming Iran-backed Houthi missiles in the Red Sea on Tuesday.
Since October 17, nearly 100 Houthi-operated drones have been shot down by the defense forces. According to the publication, the group has attacked more than 21 international vessels in the region, causing a disruption in global shipping.
On December 25, three US service members were injured in Iraq when Kataib Hezbollah attacked Erbil Air Base. The US military conducted airstrikes on three facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq in retaliation.
Lindsey Graham supports presence of ground troops in the Middle East
Calling the terrorists in the Middle East "religious Nazis," Graham said that it is imperative for "some" US troops to stay in the region to defeat them "so they don't have the time to hit America."
"That's the only way to be safe in this war. And over the arc of time, people in the region will change. You see Saudi Arabia changing. I wish I had a simple answer. There is no answer other than fighting them over there smartly," he stated.
