USSOCOM chief denounces actions of China, Russia, and others; warns of 'decisive decade'
NewsMay 07, 2024
SOF WEEK 2024 -- TAMPA, Florida. The United States is facing a long list of adversaries who are becoming increasingly emboldened to try to weaken U.S. partnerships around the globe, with China and Russia at the top of the list but many others below them, said Gen. Bryan P. Fenton, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), during his keynote address at SOF Week.
"In this decisive decade, autocrats and terrorists alike seek to upend [the] free and open international system -- from the PRC [People's Republic of China] to Russia, from Iran to North Korea, and violent extremist organizations," Fenton said. "Those adversaries seek to divide and weaken the power of these partnerships and to challenge us even more with their hardware and tactics."
He criticized China for "debt diplomacy and cyber intrusions" that are "common practice in their pursuit to rewrite the international order."
He also spoke of Russia's "unprovoked invasion of Ukraine" and accused the nation of attacks on civilians, abductions, and other crimes as part of their effort to achieve "objectives in Europe and across the globe."
He turned to North Korea, calling them "increasingly belligerent" and "complicit in supporting Russia's untoward aggression in Europe."
He called Iran a "longtime malign actor," and described organizations like Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah as Iranian proxies seeking to sow instability in the Middle East.
Additionally, Fenton said that al-Qaeda and ISIS remain a threat to Western interests abroad.
To counter these threats, the nation is relying on the people of Special Operations Forces, who provide a "competitive and comparative advantage," he said.
"We're focused on educating, embracing, and empowering the incredible SOCOM team, all against an ambiguous and uncertain future -- all to solve the most wicked of problems," he said.
