Iraq and the ban on the Muslims

Could Donald John 'The Donald' Trump have scored an own goal in the fact he has banned Muslims from entering the United States? When you are at war it is necessary to enact certain things that at the time seem harsh but in reality are necessary until that war is over or the truth becomes clearer. We all know during WWII Germans, Italians and Japanese living in the Allied countries were put in prison camps unfair in some ways and understandable in other way.

The UK's conflict with the IRA many IRA terrorists were put in prison in Northern Ireland and the Irish population living within the borders of the UK were often under suspicion again perhaps unfair but understandable. Same as the Cold War with the Russians back in the Soviet time and again now under Putin there are probably many Russians living in the West who hate Putin but amongst these there surely must be supporters too who would be regarded with suspicion by the security forces of the nations they are living in.

So while Trump's ban is understandable because IS or AQ agents could pose as innocents visiting the United States it has left a bad taste in the mouth of Iraqi soldiers fighting Islamic State in Iraq. Iraq is one of the countries named where the travel ban that is Iraqis travelling to the United States is now operational and Iraqi special forces trained by the Americans and fighting and dying alongside their American counterparts do not think much of Trump for doing this.

Sky News had a media team out there recently following Iraqi special forces fighting IS as mortars and rockets flew overhead. When asked about Trump's ban one Iraqi soldier said it was a betrayal as they thought the US was their friend in fighting the Islamic State and now they see Trump like Kim Jong - un as a man drunk on his own self importance.

The hard edged Iraqi solider fighting alongside his American counter - part is a professionally trained soldier who would rather die than leave Iraq. However the fact that many of the Iraqis fighting for their country against IS may never wish to visit the US is not the point for many of them. It is simply the principle of the ban that if they wished to visit the country they are allied with in their war against IS that has now banned them en mass from going to the country that has trained them and put them in the front line against a common enemy of Iraq and America - Daesh.

As many have pointed out and not just Iraqi soldiers the list of Muslim countries whose citizens are now banned from travelling to the US does not include Saudi Arabia. A major friend of the US where Trump has businesses over there and supply the West with oil. Trump as did Obama and other leaders in the West backs the Saudis war against the Houthi rebels in Yemen where the Saudi air force is using UK/US weapons bombing Houthi rebels yes but also hitting innocent civilians which has been condemned by some. It has to be noted here and this has been said by the Iraqi soldiers interviewed by Sky News that the Muslims of 9/11 were mostly if not exclusively Saudi nationals as was Osama himself. Many of the Islamic State and Al - Qaeda operatives who have caused mischief in places like France, UK, Germany the US have not been Iraqis but from other Muslim countries.

Trump said he would accept for example Christians from the Middle East but IS or AQ operatives could pose as Christians to get into the US so that policy while understandable has problems too. There was the case of a Syrian Christian family visiting the US who had paid a lot of money to get to the US but now because they are from Syria have been turned away again understandable (as some could pose as Christians) but if Trump wants his "Accepting Christians from the Middle East only" policy to work he has to make it more robust.

The Iraqi soldiers at the end of the news piece by Sky News blamed Islamic State and Al - Qaeda for giving Islam a bad rap in the West and for souring relations between Christians and Muslims whether it be in the Middle East, the West or other parts of the World.

As soon as Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States Binyamin Netanyahu took that as the green light to start building again Israeli settlements in Jerusalem and the West Bank. These areas are regarded as being occupied by some in the world especially the West Bank, however, Israel regards Jerusalem as it's eternal capital and the West Bank captured in war with the Arabs by Israel as legitimate real estate to settle its people.

Obama before he left office condemned the activities of Israel in Jerusalem and the West Bank and so Resolution 2334 came into being condemning the Israeli building in the West Bank and its actions in Jerusalem.

Relations between the US and Israel were souring under Obama but with Trump in the driving seat of the US now it seems relations will be back on par. Netanyahu like Trump and like Putin and others is a strong man and a right wing populist who welcomes the fact that the new head of the US is also a strong man.

Trump has outlined five pro - Israeli measures:

1) Reversing Obama's UN Resolution 2334 although Trump may not be able to totally go against this something apparently Obama was anticipating.

2) Fighting the boycott on Israeli goods sold around the world as many organisations and nations take part in the boycott like the EU for Israel's actions against the Palestinians

3) Pressuring Palestinian leaders to accept the fact of the right of Israel to exist something Mahmoud Abbas current Palestinian leader in the West Bank refuses to do as long as Israel keeps settling the West Bank, refusing to share Jerusalem as a joint capital for any future Palestinian state living alongside Israel.

4) Trying to stop Palestinian leaders inciting their people to violence against Israelis

5) To emphasize Trump's support for Israel moving the US Embassy from Tel - Aviv to Jerusalem. This motion would fly in the face of world opinion as most of the world and the UN recognize Tel - Aviv as the capital of Israel and regard Jerusalem as something to be negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians.