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Trump Foreign Policy Tag

Kirkuk, Iraq has become a centerpiece in the Iraqi government's rejection of the overwhelmingly successful Kurdish Independence Referendum. Monday, Iraq took control of Kirkuk, which has been under Kurdish control since they took it from ISIS in 2014 as Iraqi forces fled.  It is surprising that the Kurds did not stand and fight for the hard-won Kirkuk, but it's not yet clear this was the case as there have been reports of gunfire and "clashes" in the city.  The resistance by Kurdish forces appears to have been somewhat minimal. The BBC reports:
The Iraqi military moved into Kirkuk three weeks after the Kurdistan Region held a controversial independence referendum.

Not just former US President Obama, Chancellor Merkel of Germany, too, regards the nuclear deal with Iran as her greatest diplomatic accomplishment. The prominent German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung summed up the central role played by the Merkel government, writing, "Among all the parties working to bring about a negotiated deal, Germans enjoyed [Iranian regime's] special trust." Corporate Germany loved the deal too. The Bavaria Chamber of Commerce, the leading trade body in the country, told its clients ahead of the deal that the "German media landscape across the board agrees that lucrative deals worth billions are waiting to be made in Iran. As soon as the sanction are lifted, the run on the markets begins."

Will President Donald Trump certify the Iran nuclear deal made under former President Barack Obama? That may not happen now since U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has accused Russia of protecting Iran from nuclear inspections that are crucial to the deal. From Fox News:
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley indicated Thursday that Russia was shielding Iran by blocking the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from verifying part of the deal. The IAEA initially revealed the news to a reporter in a Q&A. Meanwhile, under a requirement from Congress, Trump must choose whether to certify the deal by October 15.

It was a busy day in New York concerning North Korea. We learned that China's central bank told banks to stop working with North Korea. President Donald Trump met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss the North Korean nuclear crisis. Trump also announced new sanctions against North Korea. From The Hill:
Speaking at the United Nations before a working lunch with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, two key allies in the region, Trump said the order would significantly expand the U.S.’s ability to crack down on individuals and companies that do business with North Korea. The president said he had empowered the Treasury Department to “target any individual or entity that conducts trade in goods, services or technology” with North Korea.

US United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley told the Security Council that North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un "is begging for war" after the latest nuclear test in the hermit kingdom. "Despite our efforts, the North Korea nuclear program is more advanced and more dangerous than ever," she explained. "War is never something the United States wants. We don't want it now. But our country's patience is not unlimited."

North Korea has successfully tested a nuke and may have triggered an earthquake.  World leaders are reacting this morning. Fox News reports:

North Korea said on Sunday it detonated a hydrogen bomb, possibly triggering an artificial earthquake and prompting immediate condemnation from its neighbors -- despite the rogue regime calling the test a "perfect success."

Eliminating Islamist terrorism was high on the agenda when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington three months ago. “We will destroy radical Islamic terrorism,” President Donald Trump had said in his joint statement with Premier Modi. Last night, President Trump told India to take concrete steps in the region towards that final goal. President Trump’s speech outlining the new strategy in Afghanistan received wide support and approval in India. "India welcomes Trump's South Asia policy," India’s leading newspaper Times of India commented:
India today welcomed US President Donald Trump's determination to enhance efforts to overcome the challenges facing Afghanistan and confront issues of safe havens and other forms of cross-border support enjoyed by terrorists.

Did anyone honestly think Iran would not try to find a way to restart its nuclear program? Iranian President Hassan Rouhani threatened that the country would restart the program if the U.S. imposes more sanctions. From The New York Times:
Mr. Rouhani said that a reconstituted nuclear program would be “far more advanced,” a veiled threat that the country could start enriching uranium up to the level of 20 percent, a step toward building a nuclear weapon. Such enrichment activities were a major concern before 2015, when Tehran signed a landmark agreement with the United States and other world powers that lifted crippling economic sanctions in return for severe limits on Iran’s nuclear activities.

U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s advice on how to handle the North Korean crisis. "Let her speak for Germany," Trump told reporters yesterday referring to the statement made by Merkel earlier in the day. "She's a very good friend of mine," Trump said. "Maybe she's referring to Germany, she's certainly not referring to the United States." Merkel had criticised Trump’s recent statements aimed at North Korean regime, saying, "I consider a verbal escalation to be the wrong response." “Trump reacts to Merkel rebuke with a clear message," reported the leading German daily Die Welt.  The country's state-run broadcaster Deutsche Welle came to Merkel's defense, complaining, peace-loving German Chancellor "advocate[s] an international diplomatic response" and "Trump ignores Merkel's pleas against violence."

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has released his own statement regarding the growing tensions between America and North Korea. Yesterday, President Donald Trump warned the Communist regime that it will face "the fire and fury the world has never seen" if officials do not stop threatening America. North Korea responded with a threat to attack Guam, which houses an American army base. Mattis echoed this sentiment, stating that North Korea's actions will ultimately lead to its end.

In the past few days, North Korea has thrown more threats towards the U.S., including a promise to only use nuclear weapons against America. Then a report revealed today that the hermit kingdom "has produced a compact nuclear warhead that can be placed inside one of its advanced missiles." These threats prompted a lashing out from President Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump has signed a bill that imposes sanctions on Russia for alleged interference in our presidential election and on Iran and North Korea for their missile programs. However, in a signing statement, Trump called the bill "significantly flawed." From ABC News:
The bill limits the president's ability to lift or waive sanctions against Russia and keeps in place sanctions the Obama administration imposed last year. It also allows the U.S. to deny entry and revoke visas for individuals who have engaged in certain activities, such as selling arms to the Syrian government or abusing human rights.

President Donald Trump has said that he will sign a bill that will place new sanctions against Russia, North Korea, and Iran. The sanctions against Russia have received the most attention, especially since Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to retaliate. But the bill has sanctions against North Korea and Iran over nuclear weapons and missiles, which both countries vow to continue working on.