The Washington Post reports that the defense department’s intelligence unit secretly doubts Israel’s ability to successfully fight Hezbollah. We like that “secretly” bit. The unit reckons that the reason Israel even thinks of fighting in Lebanon is to extend the political life of Prime Minister Netanyahu. What an obnoxious statement. There are many reasons to act. Yet President Biden can’t even keep on top of the whereabouts of his own defense secretary. 

That Mr. Biden was unaware for three days that Lloyd Austin was at Walter Reed hospital following complications from a reported previous elective surgery speaks ill of the president. Mr. Biden’s national security adviser, Jacob Sullivan, was also in the dark last Monday through Thursday. The Pentagon’s number two, Kathleen Hicks, was out of it, too, even as she reportedly assumed Mr. Austin’s responsibilities — while on vacation in Puerto Rico. 

Lay blame for that chaos to Mr. Biden. It raises alarm bells over his whereabouts and lack of coordination among his national security team. This as the Ukraine war is at a turning point, the Mideast is ablaze, the Koreas are exchanging fire, and Communist China is raising stakes in the Taiwan Straits. That the president and his closest advisers failed to notice Mr. Austin’s absence raises the question of whether Mr. Biden ought to stand for re-election. 

More broadly, it’s the latest indication — oft-marked here — of  Washington’s timid approach to world affairs. It’s a timidity that could lead to wars around the world. On the eve of the chaotic Afghanistan evacuation, Mr. Austin warned Mr. Biden that a full withdrawal “wouldn’t provide any insurance against instability.” Time and time again the secretary seemed the odd man out in an appeasement administration that stumbles on war after war. 

Contrary to the Post’s leak, attacks on Israel from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen are increasing even as the IDF is battling Hamas in Gaza. Nearly 100,000 citizens will not return to their Galilee homes as long as Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, formed by Iran to infiltrate northern Israel, is entrenched in southern Lebanon. Israel’s north is bombarded daily. Yet Mr. Biden dithers and lectures about diplomatic “solutions.”

Only Mr. Austin has appeared inclined to step up. America has “combat capabilities” to deter Hezbollah, the secretary said in November. Then why would Hezbollah constantly escalate?  Our guess is that whenever offered combat capabilities, Mr. Biden rejects using them. As Israel politely listens to diplomatic ideas, it is determined to remove Hezbollah from its border, as is indicated by today’s killing of a top Radwan force commander, Wissam al-Tawil. 

Meanwhile, America’s deterrence in the Mideast and elsewhere is fast diminishing. It is difficult to threaten military consequences when the man charged with overseeing the military is out. Mr. Biden now says he wouldn’t fire his defense secretary. We agree. The right thing is for Mr. Biden to listen more to the ex-general’s advice than to his apostles of appeasement. If he did, the Mideast, Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran would be less belligerent.