Category Archives: Terrorism

Donald Trump, Government, Islamic State, Politics, Society, Terrorism, United States

President Trump launches a new war on terror

UNITED STATES

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President Donald Trump has vowed to wipe Islamic State from the ‘face of the Earth’ – and to link arms with old allies like Britain.

Intro: Defeating ISIS and other radical Islamic terror groups will be America’s highest priority.

The newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, has launched a new war on terror and has vowed to eliminate Islamic State ‘from the face of the earth’.

But his bold declaration to “eradicate completely” radical Islamic terrorism was at odds with his inauguration speech ‘America First’ inward-looking agenda.

And it is not clear how Mr Trump and his advisors plan to succeed without jeopardising international relations and running up huge costs on military operations.

While he has previously promised a more effective military campaign than that of Barack Obama, many of the actions he might take to accelerate progress in Iraq and Syria come with potentially dangerous side effects.

These include the deterioration of already strained ties with NATO ally Turkey, an increase in America or civilian casualties and reinvigorated militant recruitment.

It is extraordinary, given the tentacles of the terror group’s extended reach across Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Tunisia and Libya – as well as parts of France, Belgium, Italy – and Britain.

Sceptics were also quick to point out that several past presidents, most notably George W. Bush, had failed to keep similar promises to beat terrorism. Yet in his speech, Mr Trump threw down the gauntlet to Islamic State and its supporters around the world.

He said: ‘We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones – and unite the civilised world against Radical Islamic Terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

‘We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement, and, most importantly, we are protected by God.’

He has said that on taking office, he will tell his top generals they have (just) 30 days to present him with a plan for defeating IS.

Since Mr Trump’s inauguration on Friday 20 January, his administration has expanded on the plans to defeat terrorism.

A statement on the White House website said: ‘Defeating ISIS and other radical Islamic terror groups will be our highest priority. To defeat and destroy these groups, we will pursue aggressive joint and coalition military operations when necessary. In addition, the Trump Administration will work with international partners to cut off funding for terrorist groups, to expand intelligence sharing, and to engage in cyberwarfare to disrupt and disable propaganda and recruiting.

‘Next, we will rebuild the American military. Our Navy has shrunk from more than 500 ships in 1991 to 275 in 2016. Our Air Force is roughly one third smaller than in 1991.

‘President Trump is committed to reversing this trend, because he knows that our military dominance must be unquestioned. Finally, in pursuing a foreign policy based on American interests, we will embrace diplomacy. The world must know that we do not go abroad in search of enemies, that we are always happy when old enemies become friends, and when old friends become allies. The world will be more peaceful and more prosperous with a stronger and more respected America.’

He also pledged to ‘reinforce old alliances’ in a sign that Britain’s “special relationship” with the US could be boosted under his leadership. In response, Theresa May said she was certain Mr Trump intends to advance links between Britain and the US. Mrs May said: ‘I congratulate President Trump on taking office.’

‘From our conversations to date, I know we are both committed to advancing the special relationship between our two countries and working together for the prosperity and security of people on both sides of the Atlantic.’

Looking at the pledges made by President Trump during his inaugural speech on Capitol Hill on Friday, January 20, 2017:

IN-BRIEF

. Build The Wall – Mr Trump said: ‘We will bring back our borders.’ But his campaign pledge to build ‘an impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful, southern border wall’ between the U.S. and Mexico was not mentioned.

. Guns – Keen to placate gun rights supporters, Mr Trump has promised to abolish gun-free zones around schools and military bases. ‘My first day, it gets signed – no more gun-free zones,’ he has said. He says gun-free zones are a magnet for mentally-ill gunmen.

. Bring Back Jobs – Mr Trump has pledged to rebuild America ‘with American hands’ and ‘follow two simple rules – buy American and hire American’. His promise to help jobless American workers in the country’s depressed heartland was, for many voters, his most important pledge. Critics say it will also be the trickiest as many of those manufacturing jobs appear to have moved to lower-wage countries for good. The President has vowed personally to call the bosses of major US firms who plan to move jobs overseas and warn them they face a 35 per cent tariff if they go ahead.

. Drain The Swamp – His 100-day action plan included six measures to tackle what he sees as sleaze and corruption. They include a constitutional amendment to impose terms limits on all Congress members, a hiring freeze on all federal government employees, restrictions on the creation of new regulations and a limit on the lobbying activities of White House and congressional officials after they leave office.

. Protect US Trade – He has promised to immediately renegotiate or withdraw from the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the deal that governs commerce with, among others, Mexico. He has also vowed to dash plans to take the US into the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

. Control Immigration – Decisions on immigration ‘will be made to benefit American workers and American families’, Mr Trump said, although he also added: ‘When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.’ In recent weeks, he has backed away from his call for a temporary ban on Muslim visitors entering the country. Instead, he has said he plans from his first day in office to suspend immigration from ‘terror prone’ countries and impose ‘extreme vetting’ on others.

. Repeal Obamacare – Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, reforming America’s famously complicated and expensive health insurance system, was his administration’s most radical achievement. It guarantees health coverage for all Americans but has landed many people with higher bills. Mr Trump intends to scrap it.

. Infrastructure – One of the few areas where Mr Trump is likely to get Democratic support is his pledge to spend $1trillion over the next decade on investing in America’s crumbling infrastructure. In his speech, he pledged to ‘build new roads, highways, bridges, airports, tunnels and railways’. Such huge spending will surely complicate his plans to slash taxes, especially for business, without plunging the US further into the red.

. Global Warming – Mr Trump has previously questioned the existence of global warming, describing it as a hoax dreamt up by China. Confirming the fears of many environmentalists, the White House website has already signalled President Trump’s intentions on climate change, saying he is ‘committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the US rule’. Mr Trump has promised to tell the United Nations that the US will no longer be contributing money towards its climate change programmes.

. A New Missile Defence System – One of Mr Trump’s first moves was to announce plans for a missile defence system to protect the US against attacks from Iran and North Korea. The announcement on the White House website contained no further detail about the measures being planned. It remains unclear whether it could be a ground- or air-based system – or, more controversially, satellite-based like Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defence Initiative, better known as ‘Star Wars’. First announced in 1983, Star Wars was intended to protect the US against Soviet aggression during the Cold War.

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Britain, Government, Iraq, Islamic State, Politics, Terrorism, United Nations, United States

The West has a responsibility in Iraq

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Mosul: Violence in Iraq continues to escalate.

IRAQ

Intro: Recognising the huge human cost that the war is having on Iraq, we must accept and understand that we have an ongoing responsibility to help bring the bloodshed to an end.

Violence still engulfs Iraq. The United Nations has said that at least 6,878 Iraqi civilians were killed in 2016, a number that is most certain to be on the low side because of the unverifiable number of civilian deaths in war zones. And we do not know the full death toll from the ongoing fighting in that country because the Iraqi government has not published the causality figures for government troops and paramilitary forces fighting in Mosul and elsewhere in northern Iraq. It is a tragic toll.

In December alone, 109 civilians perished and 523 injured in Baghdad. These are largely attributed to Islamic State who have claimed responsibility for a string of bombings. But, as IS get shifted out of Mosul and other areas they have controlled, the bombings will only get worse. Fanatics will carry on the fight on the streets of the country’s cities.

Recognising the huge human cost that the war is having on Iraq, we must accept and understand that we have an ongoing responsibility to help bring the bloodshed to an end. Along with the United States we were at the forefront of the regime change invasion of Iraq that has unleashed such a violent insurrection since. Britain cannot be allowed to wash its hands as if now the mayhem has nothing to do with them. It does.

The conclusions of the Chilcot Inquiry found many failings of the UK but was specifically critical of the way in which the U.S. dismantled the security and intelligence apparatus of Saddam Hussein’s army, as well as describing the whole invasion as a strategic failure. Whilst the immediate violence is largely being perpetrated by IS and its fanatics, the West could have served the Iraqi people much better after getting involved.

It is always difficult to stand back and watch merciless dictators with no compunction committing butchery on their own people, but the long-term costs of not thinking through action from the start is now all too clear. Western intervention and the lack of proper military plans in Iraq – in dealing with all that has happened since that ill-fated invasion of 2003 – explains much of what we are witnessing now. Hideous incompetence.

A lesson we still seem not to have learnt in Syria.

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Britain, Economic, European Union, Government, Politics, Society, Terrorism, United States

2017 will be a year of major challenges

CHALLENGES, RISKS & CHANGE

Intro: There is a sense that the unglamorous hard grind will start to bear down on the detailed practicalities of change during 2017

Following the shocks and political reverberations of 2016 it should come as no surprise that relatively few have jumped forth with confident predictions for the year ahead. Yet apprehension over the future is high as the effects of the past 12 months crystallise in the weeks and months ahead.

Identifying the reasons as to why many are fearful will not be difficult. Nonetheless, buoyant financial markets in both America and the UK over the last few days have seen record highs. Businesses are sensing opportunities under a Trump administration that is pledging a boost to federal government spending on infrastructure as well as a major overhaul to the tax code in the United States. This is likely to lead to tax cuts for households and firms alike. Here in the UK, estimates for third-quarter growth have been revised up to 0.6 per cent on quarter, while household and consumer spending has been boosted by high employment and a relatively modest growth in real incomes. Hitherto, while a notable slowdown is expected over 2017, the dire predictions of economic recession in the wake of the EU referendum vote have proved overly pessimistic and we are starting the New Year from a much firmer base than many had predicted.

But major uncertainty persists over Brexit. The calls by the Scottish Government for Scotland to remain in the Single Market, and the issue as to whether beneficial trading relationships can be established with other EU countries, are clear examples of the muddle and disarray. Whilst lack of detail is frustrating, there is a notable mood across the business world to make the best of our situation and by getting on with the job. The depreciation and fall in the value of sterling offers opportunities for UK firms to boost exports and for many firms in the food and drink sector to build a presence in overseas markets. In Scotland, our tourism and events sector, spanning hotels, hospitality and conference catering, stands to benefit.

There is a sense that the unglamorous hard grind will start to bear down on the detailed practicalities of change during 2017. The focus is likely to be upon legislative changes. However, we also face an elevated degree of geo-political risk. Recent terrorist attacks across Europe and elsewhere are indicative of the challenges facing government and the intelligence agencies.

Barbaric attacks such as those in Istanbul cannot but heighten tensions across Europe. Adding further to security precautions in many European capitals, the woes and fears that governments have across Europe for their people is becoming distinctly palpable.

Fear of further such attacks, including the use by Islamic State of chemical weapons, will undoubtedly increase public anxiety and growing voter mood of unease across Europe. The British Government has already warned that ISIS could unleash such devastating weapons on our streets. Voter discontent is also threatening to bring major election upsets in France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the ever-belligerent North Korea has taken another step towards long-range nuclear strike capability. The country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has claimed that the country is now close to testing long-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

A febrile 2017 seems likely to pose challenges as big as anything we have faced before.

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