President Trump delivered his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, and in doing so he put at least two nations on notice that the United States was no longer under the leadership of people willing to look the other way when they behave badly.
In comments that are being alternately considered brave and timely, or outrageous and provocative depending on your political perspective, Trump warned North Korea he would “totally destroy” the country if it continued its threatening behavior and nuclear weapons development.
“Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime,” Trump said, employing a nickname he began using over the weekend in reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
As for Iran, Trump took a direct shot at the Obama administration, calling the nuclear deal Washington negotiated with Tehran “an embarrassment” to America and signaling he may be ready to walk away from it, as he pledged during his campaign.
“The deal was an embarrassment to the United States, and I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it, believe me,” he said.
Trump added: “The scourge of our planet today is a small group of rogue regimes that violate every principle on which the United Nations is based. If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph.” [source]
Clearly, Trump was using the occasion to lay out his vision of foreign policy and diplomacy on the biggest world stage.
Why it’s on our radar: Information in this article helps satisfy Priority Intelligence Requirement 3 and 4: What are the latest indicators of a U.S.-North Korea war, and a war in the Middle East? Each week in our Strategic Intelligence Summary, we gauge the likelihood and scope of conflict with Russia, China, North Korea, and in the Middle East, and track the latest developments in each region. Subscribe here to receive our premium intelligence products prepared by Intelligence and special operations veterans.
