Tariq Saeedi
Ashgabat, 21 November 2016 (nCa) — As Donald Trump moves to the White House in January 2016, what is in store for Central Asia?
It is a short question with a large number of very complicated answers.
In search of any credible answers, we need to understand as to what does Trump mean when he says that he wants to ‘Make America Great Again.’
We should also look at the people he is picking to help him make America great again.
Further down the line, we need to get some idea as to who is Trump as a person.
‘Make America Great Again’
His newly minted website www.greatagain.gov gives precise, clear-cut definition of greatness he seeks for the United States.
Here are some passages from the website that may be of interest to Central Asia:
Defense & National Security
America’s stature in the world is determined by its values, prosperity and might. Donald Trump understands how a strong, prosperous economy underwrites military might, and how a strong, robust military secures our way of life and the fruits of our economy. Mr. Trump recognizes that we cannot tackle challenges, especially threats to our security, unless we define the problem in a way that American resources and instruments of power can be applied against them.
To this end, Mr. Trump recognizes the long-term threat posed to our nation and our allies by radical ideologies that direct and inspire terrorism. A Trump Administration will be committed to both immediate and sustainable actions to counter the threats posed by these radical ideologies. A Trump Administration also recognizes the uniquely catastrophic threats posed by nuclear weapons and cyber attacks. Mr. Trump will ensure our strategic nuclear triad is modernized to ensure it continues to be an effective deterrent, and his Administration will review and minimize our nation’s infrastructure vulnerabilities to cyber threats. Mr. Trump will be a strong Commander-in-Chief befitting our American men and women in uniform, and ensure their sacrifices will only be made in operations that safeguard the interests of the American people and our allies, and that their service will be honored as they enter the ranks of veterans.
Immigration
“In several years, when we have accomplished all of our enforcement goals – and truly ended illegal immigration for good, including the construction of a great wall, and the establishment of our new lawful immigration system – then and only then will we be in a position to consider the appropriate disposition of those who remain. That discussion can only take place in an atmosphere in which illegal immigration is a memory of the past, allowing us to weigh the different options available based on the new circumstances at the time.” — Donald J. Trump, August 31, 2016
A Trump Administration would execute on the following ten-point plan to restore integrity to our immigration system, protect our communities, and put America first:
- Build a Wall on the Southern Border
- End Catch-and-Release
- Zero Tolerance for Criminal Aliens
- Block Funding for Sanctuary Cities
- Cancel Unconstitutional Executive Orders & Enforce All Immigration Laws
- Suspend the Issuance of Visas to Any Place Where Adequate Screening Cannot Occur
- Ensure that Other Countries Take Their People Back When We Order Them Deported
- Finally Complete the Biometric Entry-Exit Visa Tracking System
- Turn Off the Jobs and Benefits Magnet
- Reform Legal immigration to Serve the Best Interests of America and its Workers
Energy Independence
The Trump Administration will make America energy independent. Our energy policies will make full use of our domestic energy sources, including traditional and renewable energy sources. America will unleash an energy revolution that will transform us into a net energy exporter, leading to the creation of millions of new jobs, while protecting the country’s most valuable resources – our clean air, clean water, and natural habitats. America is sitting on a treasure trove of untapped energy. In fact, America possesses more combined coal, oil, and natural gas resources than any other nation on Earth. These resources represent trillions of dollars in economic output and countless American jobs, particularly for the poorest Americans.
Rather than continuing the current path to undermine and block America’s fossil fuel producers, the Trump Administration will encourage the production of these resources by opening onshore and offshore leasing on federal lands and waters. We will streamline the permitting process for all energy projects, including the billions of dollars in projects held up by President Obama, and rescind the job-destroying executive actions under his Administration. We will end the war on coal, and rescind the coal mining lease moratorium, the excessive Interior Department stream rule, and conduct a top-down review of all anti-coal regulations issued by the Obama Administration. We will eliminate the highly invasive “Waters of the US” rule, and scrap the $5 trillion dollar Obama-Clinton Climate Action Plan and the Clean Power Plan and prevent these unilateral plans from increasing monthly electric bills by double-digits without any measurable effect on Earth’s climate. Energy is the lifeblood of modern society. It is the industry that fuels all other industries. We will lift the restrictions on American energy, and allow this wealth to pour into our communities. It’s all upside: more jobs, more revenues, more wealth, higher wages, and lower energy prices.
The Trump Administration is firmly committed to conserving our wonderful natural resources and beautiful natural habitats. America’s environmental agenda will be guided by true specialists in conservation, not those with radical political agendas. We will refocus the EPA on its core mission of ensuring clean air, and clean, safe drinking water for all Americans. It will be a future of conservation, of prosperity, and of great success.
Team Trump
Trump has announced some appointments for his core team. Let’s look at them.
Mike Pompeo, who has been nominated for director of CIA, is a member of the Tea Party within the Republican Party. He is the US Representative for the Kansas’s 4th congressional district since 2011. With a military service of about five years as engineer, he is a lawyer by qualification and has J.D. from the Harvard Law School. He is president of Sentry International, an oilfield equipment company.
As a member of the house, Pompeo has experience in commerce, manufacturing, trade, energy, and power. He was also member of the subcommittee on CIA.
Pompeo rejects many concepts about global warming. He has described the views of President Obama on environment and climate change as ‘damaging’ and ‘radical.’ He opposes the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, and supports the elimination of the Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse registry programme.
On GMO (genetically modified food) he opposes the move to require mandatory labeling of genetically modified food items.
In military matters, he is perhaps for more autonomy by the generals in the field. He supports the surveillance programmes of the National Security Agency and firm clampdown on whistleblowers. He has called for the compilation of a mega-database containing all the publicly available financial and lifestyle information on the citizens and foreigners.
Pompeo has raised concerns about the possibility of a secret side of the agreements between Iran and the IAEA on the procedures for the inspection and verification of Iran’s nuclear activities under the deal.
On terrorism done in the name of Islam, he said that those Muslim leaders, who don’t denounce it, are ‘potentially complicit’ in such attacks. Flynn sees the Muslim faith as one of the root causes of Islamist terrorism and describes Islam as a ‘political ideology and a cancer.’
His book, “The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies,” focuses on the importance of identifying “radical Islam” and its role in terrorism. He defines the fight against terrorism as a “world war” and emphasizes the need to begin the fight at home. Apparently he doesn’t consider Islam a religion.
Pompeo is opposed to the end of CIA’s secret prisons (also called black sites). He is not opposed to torture during interrogations.
Michael Flynn (Mike Flynn) has been nominated as NSA (National Security Advisor). He is a retired lieutenant general, who served as the director of the Defence Intelligence Agency, commander of the Joint Functional Component Command of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and chaired the Military Intelligence Board. He is co-author of a January 2010 report titled ‘Fixing Intel: A Blueprint for Making Intelligence Relevant in Afghanistan.’ He has served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He is opposed to deposition of Assad through military means. He is also opposed to arming of the Syrian rebel groups, because, in his view, such arming benefits the extremists such as Al-Nusra Front and ISIS.
Flynn supports President Erdogan of Turkey and calls for the extradition of Fethullah Gulen.
He has appeared frequently at RT, the Russian government-owned TV and web media outlet. In some issues he seemed to support the views and policies of Putin.
Even though Flynn is a registered Democrat, his views have mostly been in synch with Donald Trump on the key issues.
Jeff Sessions has been nominated as the Attorney General. He is a US senator from Alabama on the Republican ticket. He has previously served as the Attorney General of Alabama. He is a lawyer by qualification, with J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law.
Some controversy lingers about his treatment of the African-American people during trials. His remarks on some occasions suggest white supremacy tendencies.
Sessions was a staunch advocate of the Iraq war and organized a rally in 2005 in support of the war. He is also a supporter of the use of torture by the US military or the US government against the prisoners.
He is totally opposed to the grant of any form of citizenship to the illegal immigrants. He favours electronic verification of the immigrant status by the businesses.
Sessions opposes same-sex marriage and legalization of cannabis.
He is skeptical of the scientific consensus on climate change and opposes the regulation of greenhouse gases.
He advocates nuclear power and favours drilling operations in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
President of White Males ?
The analysts are of the view that Trump succeeded in consolidating the male, white, middle- and working-class vote. Within this group, the majority is believed to be above 35 in age, conservative in worldview, and joined together in their perception of being under siege in their own country from the alien ideologies, immigrants and minorities.
This may or may not be the correct description but the fact remains that in the shape of Hillary Clinton, Trump had no difficulty in making things stick the way he wanted.
Throughout the campaign he appeared as arrogant, racist, megalomaniac, almost white supremacist, floating on the balloon of his gigantic ego.
The people who knew him or came across him since before the presidential campaign remember him as a warm, likeable person.
There is a prevailing view that he is master of bargain and will not necessarily insist on what he demands because he demands a lot more than what he actually expects.
To be continued . . .