Tag Archives: Donald Trump

Government, Middle East, Syria, United Nations, United States

U.S. launches strikes against Syria

SYRIA

Assad

Syrian President Bashar Assad speaks during an interview with Croatian newspaper Vecernji List in Damascus.

The U.S. has launched cruise missiles against Syria, a day after President Trump said a chemical weapons attack that killed 86, “crossed many, many” lines.

Why did the U.S. attack?

Back in 2013, President Obama set a “red line” against the use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Assad. The regime proceeded to use the weapons to kill 1,400 civilians, but Obama did not attack — a move Trump and other Republicans widely criticised as making America look weak.

In the wake of that episode, Assad agreed to turn over his stockpile of chemical weapons. This week’s chemical attack clearly violated that pledge. Trump called the attack — which killed at least 86 people, 27 of them children —  “a disgrace to humanity” and “truly one of the egregious crimes.”

How did the U.S. attack?

The cruise missiles were fired from a U.S. Navy vessel in the Mediterranean Sea. The missiles hit multiple targets, including the airfield which serves as the base for the warplanes suspected of carrying out the chemical attack.

The plan for the attack followed one devised in 2013 after Obama set his “red line.”

Has the U.S. struck Syria before?

The U.S. has been bombing Islamic State targets in Syria since 2014, but this was the first strike against the Syrian regime. This also marked the first conventional assault on another country ordered by President Trump.

Why did the U.S. attack from ships?

Tomahawk missiles can travel 1,500 miles to strike their target. So, the U.S. Navy was able to launch the attack from the Mediterranean Sea, avoiding the need to get permission from any host country to launch the strikes.

What are the risks of attacking the regime?

One potential concern is the safety of US Special Operations troops in eastern Syria who are advising local ground forces in their fight against the Islamic State. There are fears Assad could counter by targeting the U.S. troops. The strikes also effectively open a new front in America’s 16-year war in the Middle East.

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Damaged hardened aircraft shelters at the Syrian airbase following US airstrikes.

Airfield

Digital satellite image of the US target zone.

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59 Tomahawk missiles were fired by the US military fleet in the eastern Mediterranean towards the Al-Shayrat airbase near Homs in Syria.

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Germany, Government, NATO, Politics, Society, United States

The U.S. raises spectre on German contributions to NATO

UNITED STATES/NATO

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Trump and Merkel share tense first public appearance earlier this month in Washington.

Intro: President Trump issues NATO invoice of some £300bn to Germany. But Chancellor Merkel insists no debt is owed.

ANGELA MERKEL has reportedly ignored Donald Trump’s attempts to extricate £300bn from Germany for what he deems to be owed contributions to NATO.

The controversial President is said to have had an ‘invoice’ printed out outlining the sum estimated by his aides as covering Germany’s unpaid contributions for defence.

Said to be presented during private talks in Washington, the move has been met with criticism from German and NATO officials in Brussels.

While the figure presented to the Germans was not fully revealed by either side, NATO countries pledged in 2014 to spend two per cent of their GDP on defence, something only a handful of nations – including the UK, Greece, Poland and Estonia – currently do.

But the bill has been backdated even further to 2002, the year Mrs Merkel’s predecessor, Gerhard Schröder, pledged to spend more on defence.

Mr Trump reportedly instructed aides to calculate how much German spending fell below two per cent over the past 12 years, then added interest. Estimates suggest the total came to £300bn, with official figures citing the shortfall to be around £250bn, and with £50bn in interest added on.

The Times quoted a German government minister as saying the move was “outrageous”.

The unnamed minister said: “The concept behind putting out such demands is to intimidate the other side, but the chancellor took it calmly and will not respond to such provocations.”

And the London based newspaper quoted a source close to Mrs Merkel saying she has “ignored the provocation”.

The bill follows a disastrous meeting between the pair earlier this month, characterised by Mr Trump’s refusal to shake his peer’s hand.

A day after the meeting, Mr Trump tweeted: “Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with the Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“Nevertheless, Germany owes . . . vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!”

In response to the claims, German defence minister Ursula Von der Leyen rejected the notion the European nation owed the US or NATO.

She issued a statement saying: “There is no debt account at NATO.

“Defence spending also goes into UN peacekeeping missions, into our European missions and into our contribution to the fight against [Isis] terrorism.”

Her comments were backed by Ivo Daalder, permanent representative to NATO from 2009 to 2013 under the Obama administration, who queried the President’s understanding of the organisation.

He tweeted: “Sorry Mr President, that’s not how NATO works. The US decides for itself how much it contributes to defending NATO.

“This is not a financial transaction, where NATO countries pay the US to defend them. It is part of our treaty commitment.”

Mr Trump has repeatedly voiced his criticism over member payments to NATO, throwing doubt on the US’ future role in the organisation.

He has singled out a number of NATO countries, including Germany, over their defence contributions claiming the US has been forced to bear the brunt and pick up the tab.

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Government, Politics, Society, United States

U.S. Finance Bill

UNITED STATES

Intro: President Trump unveils his first finance bill

DONALD TRUMP has promised a “new chapter of American greatness” as he unveiled plans to spend billions of dollars more on defence and building the wall with Mexico.

In his first finance plan, the U.S. President intends to ramp up security by slashing budgets on foreign aid, poverty programmes and the environment.

Defence will receive a 10 per cent increase of some £44billion – the biggest since Ronald Reagan’s boost in the 1980s.

Officials say the money would be used to “accelerate the defeat” of Islamic State and ensure U.S. troops were the “most ready forces in the world”.

Homeland Security will also see its budget rise by 7 per cent, assigning £2.3billion for building the border wall.

The Environmental Protection Agency will be cut by 31 per cent, the State Department by 28 per cent, and Health and Human Services by 17.9 per cent.

Climate change research is to be axed completely, along with smaller agencies financing the arts, public service broadcasting, and legal aid for the poor.

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