Competent and comprehensive

Secretary of State Tillerson says the Trump administration is conducting a government-wide review of our policies toward Iran and North Korea. He gave a speech mostly about Iran, "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism." He discussed Iran's actions in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and against Israel. He also showed how Iran is threatening Saudia Arabia's southern border, harassing US naval vessels, arbitrarily detaining and imprisoning innocent people, conducting cyber attacks against America, conducting assassination attempts, violating human rights, has nuclear ambitions, and is illegally conducting missile tests. Tillerson implied that Obama tried to buy them off, but that the Trump administration has no intention of passing the buck, as Obama did to Trump.

Sundance at The Conservative Treehouse lists some of the Trump team's accomplishments so far:

♦ The number of NATO countries now fulfilling their defense spending obligations has increased from 3 to 5, with all nations agreeing to reach the compliant 2% GDP spending within 12 months.

♦ NATO and EU countries now emboldened to stand up to Russia.

♦ Russia has become more isolated and somehow, f**king incredibly, President Trump has cut the cord connecting Russia and China.

♦ China abstained and did not veto, a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Bashir Assad in Syria. Russia became isolated in their veto position and only Bolivia would concur.

♦ U.N. and international leadership praise Trump administration position of taking a hard line on chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

♦ Russian Vladimir Putin refused to meet Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, then abruptly did an about face after the G-7 meeting with T-Rex – because Russia’s influence was being further reduced and Putin felt threatened by diminishment.

♦ President Trump announces he will not label China as a currency manipulator. China has made no efforts to manipulate their currency since the Nov 8th, 2016, election.

♦ China turns back 12 North-Korean cargo ships laden with coal.

♦ China offsets N-Korean coal refusal with increased purchases of coking coal (steel-making) from the U.S.

♦ China halts direct air travel between Beijing and Pyongyang.

♦ China begins oil and fuel embargo of exports to North Korea.

♦ Stunningly, China announces their willingness to consider “Five Party Talks” about the denuclearization of North Korea without the government of Pyongyang at the table. (China, Russia, U.S., Japan and South Korea)

None of these outcomes are delivered through the continuance of Bush/Obama/Clinton foreign policy of interventionism. Each of these outcomes is occurring because of talks, leverage, and alignment of economic influence on a larger scale than the individual interests of the countries involved.

[…] “I fully trust the capabilities of President Trump … he can succeed in so many fields that others cannot. I trust him wholeheartedly.”…

~ Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

Pretty darned remarkable.

Read more here.