While it’s too early in his tenure to draw definitive conclusions about his geopolitical agenda slowly unfolding, what’s known so far is disturbing.
He appears to be the latest in a long line of US warrior presidents – a huge disappointment, though hardly surprising.
The last US president favoring peace over endless war was assassinated for wanting all Pentagon forces out of Vietnam – before things heated up after his elimination.
The lesson of Jack Kennedy’s state-sponsored assassination wasn’t forgotten or ignored by his successors.
Candidate Trump said “I was against (Middle East wars). And I was against (them) very early. And we shouldn’t have been in there. And I think it is probably perhaps the worst mistake we have ever made.”
He called Afghanistan and Libya wars mistakes, after supporting them earlier. At the same time, he said failure to seize Iraq’s oil fields was poor judgment. “In the old days when we won a war, to the victor go the spoils,” he blustered.
He complained about wasting trillions of dollars, turning the Middle East into a mess, instead of using the funds spent to rebuild America. “(W)e don’t have the money because it’s been squandered on so many (wrong) ideas,” he said.
He was silent throughout the campaign and post-inauguration about the illegality of all US wars – preemptively attacking one nation after another posing America no threat.
His January 29 special forces central Yemen raid destroyed Yakla village, killing an unknown number of civilians, estimates ranging from 16 to 59. It’s unclear what the mission accomplished other than massacring noncombatants.
US-led so-called “coalition” warplanes continue attacking Syrian and Iraqi infrastructure and government targets. No cooperation with Russia so far exists in combating terrorism, no discussion so far on this key issue.
During a weekend phone call with US-installed puppet Afghan president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, a Kabul official briefed on the discussion said Trump will consider sending more combat troops to the country – instead of ending America’s longest war.
US terror-bombing continues. Helmand province raids last week killed at least 18 civilians, injuring others, according to a UN inquiry – mostly defenseless women and children mercilessly slaughtered like so many times before by US aerial and ground operations.
Bush/Cheney, Obama and now Trump’s war is responsible for virtual daily civilian deaths, utter chaos and appalling human misery.
Defense Secretary Mattis calls Russia America’s top threat. False! Secretary of State Tillerson warned about being “clear-eyed about our relationship with Russia,” saying it “poses a danger…” False!
“It has invaded Ukraine…” False! It “t(ook) Crimea, and supported Syrian forces that brutally violate the laws of war.” False, other than aiding Syria combat terrorism at the request of its government.
“Our NATO allies are right to be alarmed at a resurgent Russia.” Absolutely false!
Does Trump share these views, despite saying he “respect(s)” Putin, said “he’s doing a great job,” praised his “intelligence (and) no-nonsense way,” believes he and Russia’s leader will “get along very well,” while calling bilateral relations “horrible,” and claiming “there’s nothing I can think of that I’d rather do than have Russia friendly, as opposed to the way they are right now…”
Trump inherited America’s imperial agenda, its aggressive wars in multiple theaters, terrorist foot soldiers his predecessors created and supported, a bloated defense budge he vowed to increase, and the Pentagon’s empire of bases, used as launching pads for naked aggression.
Will he continue America’s warrior tradition or go another way? Early evidence isn’t encouraging.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
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