Alas, Donald, Turns Out that You Are the Weak Leader

Western media have published a statement from the main Islamic State spokesman, in which he calls the U.S. a failing country, led by a "foolish idiot," who "doesn't know what Levant or Iraq or Islam is."

"Failing country, there is no salvation. You will be a victim of the soldiers of the caliphate, and your end is clear to all," declared the official spokesman for the caliphate, Abi al-Hasan al-Muhajir. He predicted a "death by anger" for the United States.

As you recall, in his first address last year, al-Muhajir, who replaced Abu Muhammad al-Adnani (who was killed in Aleppo), called for Islamists to patiently overcome all setbacks, promising them a reward in the future and announcing that "the crusading United States and Europe, communist Russia, the fire-worshipers in Iran, the secularists in Turkey, the atheist Kurds and other multitudinous heretics and idol-worshiping Arabs" have declared war against the Islamic State group and all Muslims.

The new statement, part of the Islamic State group’s information war against the West, was the first to mention Donald Trump by name, although the terrorist is not making an appeal directly to the U.S. president, but rather to the American people. Of course, all of this sounds strange coming from the mouthpiece of the Islamic State "government," or, more accurately, organization, which one could much more accurately call “failing” than the United States.

The Islamic State group, as a quasi-state, is more or less destroyed. Of course, it will continue to exist while there are still interested sponsors, and while there are still conflicts in the Middle East in which the organization wants to participate. That's the thing that unites fighters, as they do not just disperse. But practically speaking, no one doubts that both "capitals" of the caliphate, Mosul and Raqqa, will be completely cleared of terrorists before the year is out. If some territories do remain under their control, then it would be hard to call them a government; the Islamic State group will just become one of many terrorist organizations.

In this light, the words of Abi al-Hasan contrast even with the last statement of the "caliph" of the Islamic State group, made from an unknown location, which was more like a last will and testament. Here is the head of the organization, talking not even to his supporters, which would be logical, but to his opponents.

Why? The answer is simple: This address is a provocation meant for Trump, personally. In light of the political misfortunes of the American leader on basically all fronts, in both foreign and domestic politics, it seems like an acknowledgment of his failure. No, America is not yet failing of course, but the same cannot be said of its president.

Setting aside insults to the American leader, it must still be noted that in terms of Islam and wars in the Middle East, it seems he does not understand a single thing. The Islamic State group fighters probably did not suffer any illusions about Trump, who, during the election campaign, declared the caliphate his main enemy. But others did have illusions, namely Russia.

I won't speak for the country's highest leadership, but most political experts, beyond the perennial skeptics who are used to seeing the bad in everything, definitely had illusions.

Really, how nicely it all began: Trump promised to normalize relations with Russia, maybe even recognize Crimea, fight against international terrorism, and crush the Islamic State group with Moscow's help. A true idyll in contrast to the cold war carried out by Barack Obama, and his complete inability to deal with the so-called "international terrorism" that was born, to a large extent, from America's policies.

Of course, it's only been two months since Trump's inauguration, but one can already draw some preliminary conclusions.

Indeed, Trump was and still is under tremendous pressure from his opponents, who have organized a witch hunt of all his allies who were ever involved in anything that could be perceived as "pro-Russian," which today is scarier to America than fascism, Satanism and Islamic terrorism put together.

A true witch hunt has begun in the U.S.; this isn't just an epithet, but a reality. Such a thing hasn't happened since at least the time of McCarthyism and the growth of the Ku Klux Klan, if not the Inquisition. Thankfully, no one is being burned on a pyre on suspicion of showing sympathy to Moscow. One could also say the departing Obama administration left his successor with a sea of minefields that one cannot realistically pass through unharmed, and that many of the mines have extended release mechanisms, which have yet to take effect. Trump has been surrounded by a whole team of people who are keen to continue Obama's policies, who do not want normalization with Russia, victory over terrorism, or anything else Trump promised.

The story of the failed replacement for Obama’s health care law shows that the president is far from being in control of the Congressional majority. The subsequent blocking of his anti-immigrant orders showed trouble with the judiciary. Or, take the latest news: Stephen Bannon, Trump's closest confidante, has been removed from the National Security Council.

In this case, Trump looks like a person who is absolutely incapable of carrying anything through to its conclusion. In other words, Trump, as it turns out, isn't really in control of anything and has decided on nothing outside the confines of the White House. All of his executive orders are just bits of paper. All of these moves convince both his opponents and his supporters of his unviability.

Soon, Trump will be meeting China's leader. The relationship with China is also an important topic on his agenda. What will he go in with, and, more importantly, what will he take away from the meeting? Will Trump's supporters see a complete failure? Then there is North Korea, which re-entered international politics with its missiles at a most inopportune time. What to do with it? Bomb it? But that would be fraught with danger for the U.S. itself. Arm its neighbors? That will only worsen relations with China and Russia, which are already terrible. Then there is Iran. Beset on all sides!

Let's return to Syria. Literally last week, the U.S. representative to the United Nations (who is obliged to articulate the White House's point of view) declared that the U.S. no longer considers deposing Bashar Assad its primary goal in this war. Some people sighed with relief. But the good times did not last.

As if by design, the chemical weapons provocation took place in Idlib. Now Trump can do nothing but join the outraged choir of Assad's enemies. Again, we hear the mantra from the White House: Assad must go!

According to Trump's statement, the actions of the Syrian leader are the result of the weak policies of the Obama administration. Trump does so love to blame everything on Obama. If anything happens anywhere, it's Obama's fault, he's the one who caused that situation. Trump emphasizes that Obama was a weak leader at every opportunity.

Alas, Donald, it turns out you are the weak leader. At the same time, Obama, undoubtedly pleased with himself, his accomplishments and his intentions, is alive and well, regardless of the unfortunate defeat of his protege during last year's election. Obama and Hillary Clinton lost the election, but for now, everything is transpiring exactly as it would have if they won. As for Trump ... well, he's looking like a statist or something.

After the terrorist attack in the St. Petersburg metro, Trump personally called Vladimir Putin and talked about the necessity of a joint war on terrorism. Where were you earlier, Trump? Like when the American press declared how Washington refused plans to cooperate with Russia in the fight against the Islamic State group due to "political risks?"

Of course, it may be too early to bury Trump. Really, two months cannot yet be considered an indicator. Or is it?

In contrast to the president of the most powerful country in the world, the Islamic State group, dying but standing up for its ideals until the last man, looks far more confident. Of course, they are criminals, murderers and terrorists, but there is something to their words about Trump and America. One may consider it a political curse, one which has already caught up to its target.