The National Security Establishment vs. Defense

by Jacob G. Hornberger
Jan. 26, 2015

I have a simple proposal: Why not bring all the troops home from Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and elsewhere in the Middle East. I mean all of them. Bring them all home and let them defend the United States. After all, it’s called the Department of Defense, right? Well, what would be wrong with applying the principle of defense to our country by bringing all the troops home and having them defend the United States?

U.S. officials say that that would be horrible idea because the troops are over there killing terrorists before they come to the United States. Better that the battlefield is over there rather than here at home, U.S. officials say.

But foreigners are not iron filings and U.S. troops are not magnets. If foreigners wish to come to the United States and commit terrorist acts, they don’t have to overcome the troops over there first. The troops have not erected some sort of well-guarded giant wall that terrorists must overcome in order to get to the United States. If terrorists want to come to the United States, there are ways to circumvent the troops who are stationed in foreign countries and make their way to the United States.

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