President Trump has only been in office for nine months, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t made a difference. While an improving economy and more stable southern border have been early successes for the new administration, perhaps nowhere has Trump’s impact been more profound than in foreign policy. In fact, as Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani put it, the difference is like “day and night.”
From the Washington Times:
President Trump received glowing praise Thursday from Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani for the new war strategy, which was credited for turning around the 16-year war against Taliban militants and other radical Islamic terrorists.
“It is a difference of day and night,” Mr. Ghani said at a meeting with Mr. Trump. “The cloud of uncertainty has been lifted, but equally important is your commitment to a political solution at the end of this process.”
For Afghanistan, the change from Obama to Trump has been a welcome one:
Mr. Trump announced the new strategy a month ago. It included setting long-term goals for the war effort, sending more U.S. troops to train and assist the Afghan military and revisions rules of engagement.
Before Mr. Trump took office, President Obama had begun a drawdown of U.S. troops and then halted the pullout as conditions deteriorated.
“You made this decision on the basis of courage and determination. We salute you,” Mr. Ghani said of the renewed commitment to the war.
Of course, Ghani isn’t the first to notice the drastic improvement to American leadership since Trump took office. On multiple occasions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has applauded Trump’s reversal of Obama era policies. Outside of Israel, other Middle Eastern leaders have also welcomed Trump’s approach with open arms.
More than anything, the world requires strong American leadership to provide peace and stability. Under Obama’s watch, the United States was passive and weak on the world stage, leading to eight years of decay to global stability. In just nine months, Trump has completely reversed that trend.
Clearly, President Trump is never going to win over American or European liberals. However, his approach has won him the respect of some of our most strategic allies around the world. Ultimately, that respect will be a much more important asset going forward.
Source: Allen West
