The decision by President Trump to announce recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was obviously a long planned strategy. The U.S. State Department via Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley were seamlessly aligned with the White House on the initiative. Ambassador Haley discusses the move below:
During several months of discussions deep in the weeds of President Trump’s geopolitical strategy toward the North Korean nuclear missile crisis, CTH extensively outlined a particular economic approach that would likely surface ONLY AFTER President Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley walked methodically through the sequential elements needed.
The most important part of that sequence involved getting China and Russia to accept the cornerstone of a denuclearized DPRK. They did. The “Unanimous” U.N. Security Council resolution against the DPRK was passed.
The next phase was to get the international community to agree to the strongest ever massive economic sanctions. They also did. As this was occurring, Defense Secretary James Mattis positioned U.S. Navy assets forward into the region, and close-quarter drills began in South-East Asia ocean trade routes near merchant vessels.
Evolutionary talks between President Trump and the newly empowered Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping established the framework for President Trump’s zero-sum economic position; both President Trump and Chairman Xi were clear on the possibility. Following their meeting, China sent an emissary to the DPRK and the U.S. State Dept. labeled North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism.
As anticipated, in the State Department response to the latest ICBM test, we now see the elements of a pending U.S. naval blockade. [Paragraph #2, Sentence #3]
[…] In addition to implementing all existing UN sanctions, the international community must take additional measures to enhance maritime security, including the right to interdict maritime traffic transporting goods to and from the D.P.R.K.…
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Defense detected and tracked a single North Korea missile launch today at about 1:17 p.m. EST. Initial assessment indicates that this missile was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea, and traveled about 1000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). We are working with our interagency partners on a more detailed assessment of the launch.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America, our territories or our allies.
(more…)
This image from Sweden speaks so loudly:
Concrete K-Rail Barriers, positioned to stop terrorist attacks by vehicles, dressed up like Christmas decorations around the local holiday markets. What a ridiculously sad and pathetic visual of everything wrong in Europe.
Amid the anxiety of anticipating the next Jihadist attack, which everyone knows is not if – but rather ‘when’, it would appear joy is somewhat lowered on the scale of relativity.
EUROPE – The Islamic State has issued chilling threat to attack Christmas markets in the Britain, France and Germany in pictures circulated among supporters.
The jihadis have circulated images on messaging apps including one in which a black-clad hooded figure is seen standing over a kneeling Santa Claus with an image of Regent Street in the background.
A message in English, French, and German says ‘Soon on your holidays’ with the clear implication that London can expect a terrorist attack over the holiday season. (read more)
United States U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley was in South Sudan to convey the message the U.S. was unhappy with Sudanese President Salva Kiir and the ongoing civil war.
JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, was evacuated from a U.N. camp for displaced people in South Sudan on Wednesday because of a demonstration against President Salva Kiir, witnesses said.
Shortly after Haley left the camp, U.N. security guards fired tear gas to disperse the crowd of more than 100 residents who looted and destroyed the office of a charity operating there, an aid worker at the camp said. The aid worker spoke on condition of anonymity out of safety fears.
Those who are following the Trump Doctrine, strategic U.S. geopolitical alliances, and the bigger part of the big picture for how President Trump and the administration are positioning the U.S. economy toward lessening ties with China, will note the significance of this speech and the content therein. The media will remain oblivious to it.
The Trump Doctrine surrounds modern international economic engagement only possible with a president who is not beholden to the multinational corporations and multinational banks who occupy lobbying offices on K-Street in Washington DC. A key component of the approach is the ability to build relationships which can be leveraged for America-First interests with national economic partners aligned in common cause.
Under the Trump Doctrine, India is a strategic economic counter-weight to remove the leverage China has created for the past 20+ years. Nothing that has happened within the strategic approach of President Trump happens accidentally. Even the positioning of U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is a part of this dynamic lost on almost everyone except a few who understand the insight of a president who has thought through every angle for years prior to taking office.
Small, seemingly obscure, details are part of the big picture; nothing is without design. Understanding this principle helps to assemble the framework for this speech by Secretary Rex Tillerson. WATCH:
“China, while rising alongside India, has done so less responsibly, at times undermining the international, rules-based order even as countries like India operate within a framework that protects other nations’ sovereignty.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears with Mari Bartiromo to discuss the Iranian nuclear agreement and specifically President Trump’s call for revised security terms.
For those who travel through the deep geopolitical grass, this interview is particularly important as Netanyahu outlines the ‘why now’ aspect. Note specifically how the Prime Minister frames the economic leverage strategy we have discussed –Backstory Here– and how the regional allies President Trump has assembled are all in concert with the larger objectives. It’s actually a little surprising to see Netanyahu ‘out’ the Big picture.
Ahead of a working lunch with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis, President Trump holds a consultation meeting with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Mr. Kissinger has been an arms-length foreign policy adviser since the campaign.
Undoubtedly the requested Kissinger insight would be regarding China, and more specifically regarding Beijing, and the old communist guard’s outlook toward the ongoing communist congress currently taking place in the deepest bamboo forest.
President Trump took the media opportunity to discuss a myriad of ongoing issues including the collapsing ObamaCare issues and the ongoing tax proposals.
The Backstory Here Is Important – Those who travel the deep weeds of politics might remember back in August when the Trump administration delayed $300 million in economic aid to Egypt. The U.S. media made quite a fuss about it and claimed U.S. Egyptian relations would be stressed. Reminder:
CAIRO— Egypt reacted angrily Wednesday to the Trump administration’s decision to cut or delay nearly $300 million in military and economic aid over human rights concerns, a surprise move given the increasingly close ties that have bound the two allies since President Donald Trump took office in January.
Hours after the U.S. announcement, Trump’s Middle East envoy, son-in-law Jared Kushner, arrived in Egypt as part of a Middle East tour to try to revive Arab-Israeli peace talks. He met with President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and later conferred with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry before leaving for Israel.
Before getting to the heart of the latest announcement it is important to note there is a great deal of rapid economic action taking shape in China ahead of Secretary Rex Tillerson’s arrival. ¹China has stopped the import of recyclables. ²Chinese manufacturing is slowing. ³Comac (chinese aerospace) has successfully tested their latest airliner.
#1 is important because it reflects the opinion of the central economic planners in Beijing that #2 is more severe than currently publicized. #3 is important because Canada’s plan in the Boeing -vs- Bombardier trade dispute was to look toward China to purchase Canadian subsidized aerospace products. Purchases won’t happen because China is creating it’s own airline manufacturing industry with Comac (a Beijing subsidized industry). However, China is more than willing to give the illusion of trade in order to steal Bombardier technology.
Those are all subtle signals of economic activity within China.
However, today the bigger economic story is an outcome of President Trump and Treasury Mnuchin outlining specific sanctions against any entity that engages in economic activity with North Korea.
Beijing understands the consequences to the Trump/Mnuchin sanctions and finds themselves in a tight position where allowing DPRK business interests to operate within China violates the intended purpose to cut off North Korea from it’s economic enablers.
(Via Daily Mail) China has ordered North Korean companies in the country to shut down by January as it applies UN sanctions imposed following Pyongyang’s sixth nuclear test.
The commerce ministry in Beijing said today the companies, including joint ventures with Chinese firms, have 120 days to close from the date the United Nations resolution was adopted on September 12.