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トランプの狂気の国連演説とミュラーのロシア疑惑追及の進行 国連総会でのトランプの演説は、狂気に満ちた、エゴ丸出しの演説であった。トランプは、 自国を最優先するのが当然の道と言いながら、「アメリカ優先」方針を強調した。他方、世界は「正義を重んじる多数の国」と「ならず者の少数の国」に二分されており、正義がならず者を打倒しなければ世界は危機に陥る、と主張する。そして、ならず者国家とトランプが考える国をあげて、それらを征伐する旨を強調する。それは必ずしも、正義を重んじるという多数の国との協力・協議を考慮に入れているわけではなく、何よりもアメリカの意思と能力でもってその征伐は可能であるかの論調で演説は進む。 最初にあげられるのは、もちろん「北朝鮮」であるが、これにたいするトランプの表現は子供じみているというか、なんというか、「ロケット・マン」と金を呼び、そして「アメリカが我慢のげん度を超えたとき、北朝鮮を殲滅する、金は自滅行為に向かって進んでいる」的発言に至る。独裁者金をせん滅するところで終わらず、北朝鮮を殲滅するという表現を用いているから、会場は静まり返る。 次にあげられるのは、イランである。そしてイランと核保有国アメリカ、イギリス、ロシア、中国等などと締結した核防止協定をトランプは激しく非難し、イランへの制裁を強化する、という発言に至っている。これなどは、各防止協定参加国との協議などもちろんなく、自分勝手に公の場で騒いでいる感が強い。因みに、これに狂気乱舞したのが、イスラエルのネタニヤフである。 トランプのあげる、ならず者国家はそこで終わらず、ヴェネズエラに至る。すでにヴェネズエラにたいしては、数々の経済制裁を行ってきているが、さらに一層の経済制裁を加え、 ヴェネズエラに民主主義が回復するように、現政権を打倒する武力介入を惜しまない、という旨の発言に至っている。 トランプの国連演説の大きな特徴は、国連のなかでアメリカが培ってきた外交的努力をすべてぶち壊す方針を打ち出している点である。そしてそのことで、アメリカは国際的にみて外交ソフトの欠落により、一層世界システムのなかで弱体化を進めていることになる。 イランをこの場であげることは、ほとんど理由にならない。サウジは一層ひどい国であるし、イスラエルのパレスティナ政策はガザ地区の包囲攻撃にみられるごとく、ならず者的である。パリ合意からの脱退を決めているトランプは、ここでは、この問題については触れていないが、孤立的状況下にある。 きわめて狂気に満ちた演説であるが、自らの立場は守っている。イスラエルとサウジとの癒着とも言える状況の堅持がそれである。 トランプは、西欧のＮＡＴＯとも冷えた関係に自らをおいており、かつプーチン・ロシアにたいしては沈黙を守った状況にある。 外交というソフト・パワーを完全に放棄することで、アメリカは世界システムにおける自らの地位を放棄しようとしている観すら見受けられる。だれも味方につけず（つけているのはサウジ、イスラエルだけ）、「アメリカを再び強く」と言って、一部の国にたいしものすごく挑発的な行動に出ている。が、これはアメリカを強くするものではない。中国、ロシアはそのことを知って、トランプが開けた空白を利用して、自己の世界での影響力の強化にまい進している。 ＊＊＊ トランプは国内的には、スペシャル・カウンセラーのミュラーによるロシア疑惑調査によってかなり追い込まれている、という重要な問題が進行している（これは第２の記事に出ている）。 トランプはネポティズムが極端な政権である。娘婿クシュナーは、外交上、ティラーソンの上にいる状態での行動をとってきているが、昨年の選挙時から今に至るまで、必ず自らの商談ビジネスをもちかけていることが知られている。これはトランプ自身もそうで、海外のトップと会談するときには、必ず、自らのビジネスが深く絡むかたちで行われているのである。「私益を離れたステーツマン」という政治家の理想像から、これほどまでに離れた大統領はこれまでいなかったと言えよう。 そしていま、オバマケアを廃止して、共和党の極端な代替案を通そうとする動きが活発化している。もしこれが成立することになれば、アメリカは極端な社会不安を引き起こすことになることは確実なのである。数千万の国民が保険資格を喪失する事態が現実化するからである。トランプはそのことには何の関心も示さない。そしてさらに減税案を通すことでトップ階層の取り分を一層多くする方針を断行しようとしている。 こうした政策をとることで、トランプはアメリカ社会を革命的に破壊しようとしているように思われる。対外的には既述のように、きわめて孤立主義的政策をとり、どの国とも友好的な交流を望まず、ただ自らの商売に近いところでのもうけに専念するような方策をとることで、覇権国家アメリカは、２００３年時と比べると、相当程度に収縮しようとしている。 ＊＊＊ Julian Borger in New York Donald Trump has threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea, in a bellicose first address to the United Nations general assembly in which he lashed out at a litany of US adversaries and called on “righteous” countries to confront them. US and China agree to ' Read more The speech was greeted in the UN chamber mostly with silence and occasional outbreaks of disapproving murmurs, as Trump castigated a succession of hostile regimes. In an address heavy with echoes of George W Bush’s “Axis of Evil” State of the Union address more than 15 years earlier, Trump said: “The scourge of our planet today are a small group of rogue regimes. “If the righteous many do not confront the wicked He first singled out North Korea, recounting its history of kidnapping, oppression, and missile and nuclear tests. “The US has great strength and patience,” Trump said. But he added: “If it is forced to defend ourselves or our allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.” As He said the US was “ready, willing and able” to take military action, but said hopefully that would be unnecessary if the rest of the world stepped up its efforts to constrain the Pyongyang regime. “That is what the United Nations is for,” the president said. “Let’s see how they do.” Trump's combative first speech to the UN general assembly – video highlights Trump moved on to Iran, claiming that the Islamic Republic had robbed a great people of its destiny. “The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran’s people are what their leaders fear the most,” he said, adding that the day would come when the Iranian people would be faced with a choice between “the path of poverty, bloodshed and terror” and their country’s “proud roots as a center of civilisation, culture, and wealth”. Trump said the Iran nuclear deal, signed by the US under the Obama administration with five other countries two years ago, was “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into”. “Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States,” he said. “I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it – believe me.” Trump must decide by 15 October on whether to certify Iranian compliance or not. His threatened withdrawal of presidential endorsement could lead to Congress reimposing nuclear-related sanctions and the collapse of the agreement. Like much of the 41-minute speech, Trump’s reference to the Iran deal was met by stony silence. The deal is overwhelmingly supported by UN member states, including most of Washington’s closest allies. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, also making his UN debut, said he had offered to discuss further constraints on Iranian missile development and curbs on Tehran’s nuclear programme after 2025, when important elements of the 2015 deal expire. But Macron warned that if the existing deal was abandoned it would lead only to a “no man’s land”, a nuclear arms race and a situation as serious as the North Korean crisis. The Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, responded with a tweet, saying Trump’s “ignorant hate speech belongs in medieval times – not the 21st Century UN” and adding that it was “unworthy of a reply”. “Fake empathy for Iranians fools no one,” he said. US and China agree to ' Read more The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was one of the few to applaud when the US president said the world could not abide by the Iran agreement “if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear programme”. Netanyahu swiftly issued a statement praising Trump. “In over 30 years in my experience with the UN, I never heard a bolder or more courageous speech,” Netanyahu said. “President Trump spoke the truth about the great dangers facing our world and issued a powerful call to confront them in order to ensure the future of humanity.” Trump is also almost entirely isolated on climate change. Unlike the other opening speakers, including the UN secretary general, António Guterres, Trump made no mention in his speech of an issue that most other leaders in the chamber consider to be the greatest threat to the world. When his turn to speak came, Macron insisted that though the Paris climate accord, which Trump said he would leave, could be improved, “it will not be renegotiated”. He said he “profoundly respected” the US decision but said “the door will always be open to them”. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu (center), was one of the few to applaud the US president’s stance on the Iran nuclear deal. Photograph: UPI / Barcroft Images The US president had clearly not come to the UN in the mood to placate foreign leaders, but rather to speak over their heads to his own supporters. He picked out one adversary after another, pointing out that he had taken steps to reverse Barack Obama’s policy of detente with Cuba. But he devoted much more of his speech to a rigorous denunciation of the government of Nicolás Maduro, which he said was strangling Venezuela through “faithfully implemented” socialism. Trump vowed to help the Venezuelan people “regain their freedom, recover their country and restore their democracy”. Top Trump officials signal US could stay in Paris climate agreement Read more The US has already imposed severe sanctions on the Maduro government and Trump said Washington was ready to take “further action” if the regime “persists on its path to impose authoritarian rule”. The Venezuelan foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, said Trump’s remarks were “sad for the world” and said the US president had spoken like a general at the head of an invading army. “We do not accept threats from President Trump or whoever in the world,” Arreaza said. “We are … peaceful people and we want relations of mutual respect.” Attacks on other governments took up much of the second half of Trump’s speech. The first half was devoted to outlining his view of international relations, which he repeatedly said should be based on “strong sovereign nations” with different cultures and values. Trump’s argument against humanitarian intervention and “nation-building” is an approach favoured by Russia, China and much of the Non-Aligned Movement. “As president of the United States,” he said, “I will put America first, just as you as leaders of your countries will always put your countries first.” It was one of the few lines that drew significant applause. Trump did not explain how that sentiment squared with the second part of his address, in which he called for action against “rogue regimes” for their lack of democracy. Angelique Chrisafis contributed to this report from Paris ＊＊＊ Mueller's Russia team reportedly seeks White House records on Trump actions Investigation appears to enter new phase amid reports of request for documents related to Trump’s most controversial actions since taking office • Lauren Gambino and Sabrina Siddiqui in Washington Thursday 21 September 2017 00.11 BSTLast modified on Thursday 21 September 2017 01.03 BST The special counsel Robert Mueller has asked the White House to provide documents related to Donald Trump’s most controversial actions since taking office in January, according to two reports on Wednesday. The inquiry from Mueller’s team, who is leading the investigation into whether Trump associates coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election, suggests that the investigation is moving into a new phase, inching closer to the president. According to anonymous White House officials, the New York Times reported, Mueller’s team sought more information related to 13 areas, including the circumstances around the firing of Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and of the FBI director, James Comey. How an obstruction of justice case may be shaping up against Trump Read more The team is also interested in an Oval Office meeting between Trump and Russian officials in May, a day after he fired Comey. During that meeting, Trump reportedly told Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Sergey Kislyak, the former Russian ambassador to the United States, that Comey’s dismissal had relieved “great pressure” on him. The Washington Post confirmed the request had been made to the White House, and reported that Mueller had also requested that the White House turn over documents related to the FBI interview of Flynn in January, days after Trump took office. They are also interested in a late January conversation in which Sally Yates, then the acting attorney general, raised concerns about Flynn with the White House counsel, Don McGahn. Additionally, they are looking at how the White House responded to a Trump Tower meeting between Donald Trump Jr and a Russian lawyer in June 2016. The list of actions by the president and his close associates that Mueller’s team is reportedly scrutinizing suggests that investigators are looking at whether Trump sought to shut down the investigation into Flynn. Mueller’s team is also examining whether Trump or others in the White House attempted to obstruct justice when the president fired Comey, who had been leading the Russia investigation until his dismissal. The Washington Post also reported that Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, offered to provide briefings on the state of the election to a Russian billionaire with links to the Kremlin. Citing people familiar with the discussions, the Post report said Manafort had made the offer in an email to an intermediary, whom he asked to relay the message to Oleg Deripaska, an aluminum magnate with whom Manafort had done business. The list of actions reportedly being looked into suggest Mueller’s team is examining whether Trump attempted to obstruct justice. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images “If he needs private briefings we can accommodate,” Manafort reportedly wrote in an email from 7 July 2016, which was read to the Washington Post along with other correspondence from that time. The story said that the emails were among tens of thousands of documents turned over to Mueller’s team and congressional investigators as part of the inquiry into Russian meddling in the US election. Late-night on Trump and Russia: 'Why can't Don Jr pick one lie and stick to it?' Read more There have been several indications that Mueller’s investigation is not simply escalating, but also increasing its scrutiny on how the Trump White House has handled matters pertaining to Russia. Donald Trump Jr’s meeting at Trump Tower in July 2016 with the Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya has emerged as a pivotal moment for both the federal inquiry as well as parallel investigations in Congress. According to emails released to the public in July, he was informed prior to the meeting of an effort by the Russian government to help elect his father. Trump’s eldest son also suggested he was open to accepting incriminating information about Hillary Clinton from Moscow. Earlier this month, the special counsel’s team reportedly sought interviews with White House staffers who were aboard Air Force Once in July, when the president himself helped to craft a highly misleading statement about the nature of his son’s meeting. The statement initially claimed Donald Trump Jr’s meeting with Veselnitskaya, which was also attended by Manafort and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was to discuss a policy banning Americans from adopting Russian children. In August, Mueller convened a grand jury in Washington through which subpoenas were issued in relation to the June 2016 meeting. The FBI also used a search warrant to carry out a raid of Manafort’s home in late July to seize documents relevant to the Russia investigation. |
