US on Verge of War, Retired Colonel Warns

Retired United States Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor, a former Trump administration Defense Department adviser, has warned that the U.S. military is on the brink of sparking "Armageddon."

In an opinion article titled "Avoiding Armageddon," published by The American Conservative earlier this week, Macgregor argued that "the stage is now set for a battle of annihilation" in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He warned that the U.S. was "poised to stumble into the conflict" and urged President Joe Biden to break with "the ruling political class in Washington" and support a ceasefire.

"With American offshore naval power, Washington is certainly poised to stumble into the conflict if it widens, but the use of American naval power will not end it," Macgregor wrote. "The Biden administration should consider taking the lead in supporting a ceasefire, even if it means cooperating with the Turks, Egyptians, and Russians to secure the arrival of humanitarian aid."

Newsweek reached out for comment to the White House via email on Friday.

During an appearance on former Fox News pundit and retired judge Andrew Napolitano's Judging Freedom podcast, Macgregor argued that allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza could be a path toward a ceasefire. Israel announced on Wednesday that it would allow Egypt to deliver some limited aid to the territory.

"Many of us were very pleased when Mr. Biden emerged from his meeting with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and indicated that humanitarian aid would be delivered to Gaza," said Macgregor. "We all felt that that was the first thing we needed to do, and that that could conceivably pave the road to a ceasefire."

Regardless, Macgregor lamented that the flow of aid to Gaza was being restricted by Israel. He also said that "the Muslim world" was "capable of a united front against Israel" and suggested that the U.S. sending aircraft carriers and guided-missile destroyer ships to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel "points to Armageddon."

"All of this points to Armageddon," Macgregor said. "It points to a total war against Israel. That will ultimately include us, at least as long as we support the Israelis."

Macgregor, who has previously lent his commentary to Russian state-run media outlet RT, urged readers of his opinion article to reject "the Western narrative" regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine—suggesting that Moscow's goals were "confined to the destruction of hostile Ukrainian forces ("denazification") and the establishment of a neutral Ukrainian state."

"In Ukraine, Washington underestimated Russian resolve and military power," he wrote. "Washington should not repeat this mistake by underestimating the potential for a regional Muslim alliance that could threaten Israel's existence. The possibility that Israel could end up like Ukraine should not be discounted."