![]() ![]() One wonders if Trump grasps the nuances and complexities of the political and security situation in the Middle East. It is disingenuous of Trump, who had denounced the military campaign in Iraq during the Bush years, to hold Obama (and, by implication, Hillary Clinton) responsible for the continuing unrest there. ![]() ![]() When President Obama sought to extend that deadline in a new agreement, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki scuttled the deal by refusing to grant U.S. Trump denounces the Obama administration for “the failure to establish a new Status of Forces Agreement in Iraq and the election-driven timetable for withdrawal.” In fact, the Status of Forces Agreement, which specified that U.S. forces would withdraw from Iraqi territory by the end of 2011, was signed during the George W. military occupation of that cursed country came to an end. Trump’s assessment of the ongoing conflict in Iraq reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the way in which the U.S. Iran and its ally, Shia Hezbollah, are at war with Sunni ISIS in support of the Shia (Alewite) government in Syria. It totally ignores the internecine struggle within the Islamic world between the Sunni jihadist terrorist groups - ISIS and al-Qaida - and Shia-dominated nation-states such as Iran and Syria. The claim that Iran aspires to become “a dominant world power” strains credulity.įurthermore, the focus on Iran seems to be in contradiction with his claim that “radical Islamic terrorism” represents the gravest threat to the United States and its allies. He asserts that the Obama administration has put Iran in “a dominant position of regional power and, in fact, aspiring to be a dominant world power.” In fact, Iran is engaged in a regional rivalry with Saudi Arabia and its allies among the Persian Gulf monarchies, as well as in a long-standing conflict with Israel (by far the most powerful country in that part of the world). the other parts of Trump's address are replete with exaggerations and misstatements.īut the other parts of Trump's address are replete with exaggerations and misstatements. Few observers of the unsettled situation in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya would defend the policy of relying on external military force to install democratic governments and promote national cohesion in countries lacking a tradition of self government and nationhood. Second, Trump’s critique of “nation building” is hardly controversial. ![]() Obama himself admitted that the Libyan intervention was his biggest foreign policy mistake in light of the chaos that continues to afflict that country. He criticized President Obama and, by extension, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for promoting the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi of Libya without giving sufficient thought to the political consequences. To be fair, I'll acknowledge the cogency of two of Trump’s points. He focused on “radical Islamic terrorism,” which will resonate here and in other countries that have suffered jihadist attacks.īut Trump being Trump, he made several assertions that kept media fact-checkers working overtime. He relied on a teleprompter to ensure he said exactly what he meant to say without his trademark off-the-cuff remarks. (Gerald Herbert/AP) This article is more than 6 years old.ĭonald Trump's foreign policy speech last week was more coherent than his earlier pronouncements on the topic. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump is seen through his Teleprompter as he speaks in Youngstown, Ohio, Monday, Aug. ![]()
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