In their annual threat assessment delivered to Congress, the US Intelligence agencies undercut many of the main assumptions in Trump Administration foreign policy.
Intelligence reported that North Korea has taken any steps to slows its nuclear weapons developments, despite Trump’s insistence his personal diplomacy is working. While the assessment acknowledge that North Korea had not conducted any nuclear tests since the summit with President Trump, they pointed at the North Korea’s test facility had been destroyed in a major accident prior to the Trump meeting and that lack a facility for tests is the probable reason for no tests
Intelligence reported that Iran continues to comply with the Iran Nuclear deal negotiated by President Obama, despite Trump’s withdrawal from the deal. They noted that Iran continues to pursue its disruptive role in the Middle East.
Intelligence still views ISIS as a significant threat, rejecting President Trump’s assertion that ISIS has been defeated by his policies.
The global list of threats saw not significant security threats to the US on the southern border, which undercuts arguments that a wall on the Mexican Border would promote US security
Anyone care to explain how Donald Trump’s assessments are superior to those of the joint intelligence agencies?
George W. Bush ignored intelligence warnings about Al Qaeda repeatedly in the first nine months of his Presidency. We all know how well that ended up.
I suppose an exasperated DUH is the only real response to this I can manage. We all know Trump governs not by the situation as it exists, but by the situation he made up in his head.
Sadly we have certain media outlets continuing to support those utter fantasies. Really our only hope is getting him out of office before the hammer really falls. It’s likely already to late - the Harm the Trump administration has done may be irreparable.
What we were told the assessment said regarding North Korea ^^
What the assessment actually said:
“Regarding North Korea…the regime has halted its provocative behavior related to its WMD program
North Korea has not conducted any nuclear-
capable missile or nuclear tests in more than a
year**, it has dismantled some of its nuclear** infrastructure, and Kim Jong Un continues to demonstrate openness to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Nevertheless, we currently assess that North Korea
will seek to retain its WMD capabilities and is
unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons
and production capabilities, because
its leaders ultimately view nuclear
weapons as critical to regime survival. Our assessment is bolstered by our observations of some activity that is inconsistent with full denuclearization. While we assess that sanctions on exports have been effective and largely maintained, North Korea
seeks to mitigate the effects of the USled
pressure campaign through diplomatic engagement, counter-
pressure against the sanctions regime, and direct
sanctions evasion.”
The sanctions they are supporting pre-date Trump. Nothing in this report is inconsistent with what the intelligence chiefs don’t state – Trump’s overture to Kim Jong-Un and Trump’s report that they “fell in love” is diplomacy carried out in fantasyland. Trump’s announcements that he has ended the threat from North Korea are hallucinations. I notice you did not bold the portion of your quote about North Korean “evasion”.
There is no consistency between Trump’s pronouncements and the intelligence assessment.
“China’s pursuit of intellectual property, sensitive
research and development plans,
and US Person
data, remains a significant threat to the US
government and private sector.”
News today:
“China on Tuesday blasted the United States for trying to kill its country’s business, a day after U.S. prosecutors indicted Chinese tech giant Huawei on fraud charges.”
Anyone familiar with the telecomm equipment market knows that Huawei’s history is repeatedly questionable. But how does this speak to the issue of Trump being out of synch on North Korea, Iran, ISIS and the Southern Border. I hope we hold the President to a higher standard than “he got one out of five” right, but maybe a 200 batting average looks stellar to Trump supporters.
The assessment, IMO, isn’t as critical as you seem to think even in those given areas. As to picking out the one I did, you think it is balanced to cherry pick segments and then ignore the rest?
Lets take the OP analysis of the failure of Trumps policies regardng ISIS. This is what the report says:
“Remaining pockets of ISIS and opposition fighters will continue to stoke violence”
So what Trump has referred to as our national crisis and was the basis for a 35 day government shutdown is not mentioned in the report until page 18. And then it is the standard cartel drug running that has been in the report for years.
Lets take the OP analysis of the failure of Trumps policies regardng ISIS. This is what the report says:
“Remaining pockets of ISIS and opposition fighters will continue to stoke violence”
That is your idea of showing it was a failure?
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Trump justified his precipitous decision to withdraw from Syria (not yet implemented) by claiming ISIS was defeated. It is obvious to anyone paying attention that ISIS capability has been seriously degraded, but the underlying conditions that gave rise to this latest version of murderous Sunni resistance remain in force. We’ve had enough of Presidents self promoting under “Mission Accomplished” barriers.
You keep playing a game with numbers (how many other issues are there) but refuse to face the fundamental issue, which is that we have a President who ignores the intelligence community and that is a dangerous thing. Why are you ignoring that danger?
Trump justified his precipitous decision to withdraw from Syria (not yet implemented) by claiming ISIS was defeated. It is obvious to anyone paying attention that ISIS capability has been seriously degraded, but the underlying conditions that gave rise to this latest version of murderous Sunni resistance remain in force. We’ve had enough of Presidents self promoting under “Mission Accomplished” barriers.
You keep playing a game with numbers (how many other issues are there) but refuse to face the fundamental issue, which is that we have a President who ignores the intelligence community and that is a dangerous thing. Why are you ignoring that danger?
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Because Trump is (now) a Republican, and for most Republicans and sadly many Democrats, it’s party over all.
Trump’s main problem as POTUS is the reason many Trumplicans cite as his strength: “He runs the country like a business!” NO HE DOESN’T. He tries to run it like HIS business. He always thinks he’s the smartest person in the room, when he almost never is, and he’s pathogically insecure. Of course he ignores wise counsel from experts in any field, which he could do when his party held all the cards. Less than a month after encountering someone with political power approaching his own, and the savvy to wield it, SHE HANDED HIS ASS TO HIM TWICE. She’ll do it again in three weeks if he doesn’t wise up. Call me crazy for predicting he won’t.
