Pidgin Corner
Trump get big plans for house, but Syria don dey show why him no fit escape di world’s problems

Even di normally brash Donald Trump seem disconcerted by di volatile international situation wey e go inherit as di new president next month and to which e dey certain to inject new unpredictability.
“Certainly e dey like di world don dey go a little crazy right now,” di president-elect talk Saturday wene meet French President Emmanuel Macron for Paris as e climb back onto di global stage for him second go-around.
Di stunning fall of di al-Assad dynasty for Syria on Sunday create new and treacherous circumstances wey go demand Trump’s attention despite him wish to disengage di US from dangerous Middle Eastern war zones and go likely provide an immediate test of him foreign policy goals and acumen for January.
“Dis no be our fight. Make e play out. No get involved,” Trump write Saturday on Truth Social, in block capital letters, as rebels race toward di Syrian capital of Damascus.
Him comment dey characteristic of a foreign policy backlash against nearly two decades of US wars for di Middle East and South Asia.
But as a global power, for an integrated world economy, and with US enemies seeking to dilute American influence, there fit also come a time wen American interests mean Trump no get choice but to get involved, diplomatically if no be militarily.
“Wen e become a national security interest and a threat to di United States, then we go get involved,” Republican Sen.
Markwayne Mullin, a key Trump ally, talk on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
And di sudden reordering of Middle East geopolitics fit offer openings for Trump’s other international goals, including him renewal of him confrontation with Iran.
For him weekend social media posts, di president-elect also highlight how di toppling of President Bashar al-Assad be a defeat for Russia and push President Vladimir Putin to cut him losses by ending di war for Ukraine.
But Trump’s first-term policies and him plans for him second term including those wey e lay out for him first major TV interview since di election, wey dem tape on Friday, before Assad’s ouster show say e dey see di world and its crises through a win-loss prism for di United States.
For di wide-ranging interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” wey air Sunday, e, for example, talk say Ukraine suppose “probably” prepare for less aid with am for power and go commit to stay for NATO only if other members pay dia bills and “treat us fairly.”
And e underscores him “America First” outlook by previewing him plans to prioritize di mass deportation of migrants with criminal records and to end birthright citizenship.
Trump dey face tightening web of US adversaries
But Trump get stiff challenges for Syria and beyond.
Di takeover, led by a rebel group wey Washington regard as a terrorist organization once affiliated with al Qaeda, raise uncertainty over whether di fractured nation fit again become a terror haven threatening US security.
Trump fit quickly decide whether to maintain a deployment of hundreds of US troops for Syria to fight any resurgence of ISIS.
President Joe Biden order a volley of US strikes against ISIS targets for di country on Sunday.
And Assad’s fall from power dey intricately linked to other US foreign policy priorities including, as Trump note, Russia, wey prop up di Syrian president’s rule to save its own footprint for di Middle East.
Assad’s fall na another serious blow to Iran, afta Israel’s wars for Lebanon against Hezbollah and for Gaza against Hamas devastate di Islamic Republic’s proxies and leave di leadership.
For Tehran looking more vulnerable than e don look for years as e brace for a looming succession drama given di advanced age of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Perceptions say Iran dey weakened fit prompt an even tougher line than dey already expected from di Trump administration as di regime increase its stockpile of near-weapons grade uranium.
Related foreign policy challenges for di new president stretch in a vast arc from Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Yemen for di Middle East, through Eurasia, rooted in di war for Ukraine and its tributary crises.
Di conflict don go global with North Korean ground troops’ stunning entry into a European land war.
If Russia, as some experts suspect, dey supply Pyongyang with ballistic missile expertise or technology in return, di US standoff with di isolated state fit become even more dangerous.
Iran don also supply Russia with drones and missiles, according to US officials.
And America’s problems with Russia, North Korea and Iran dey compounded by di loose but expanding strategic synergy between di trio and China.
Many of di incoming Trump administration’s top officials and supporters don previously argue say di US need to dis engage from places like di Middle East and Europe to direct military and financial resources to wetin dem see as an existential face-off with Asia’s superpower.
But quickly changing geopolitical realities mean say America’s adversaries probably no go give di president-elect di option.
Dis na far more complex and potentially dangerous world than di one wey Trump dey familiar with during him first term.
Di globe often reel from him unpredictable pronouncements and rebukes to US allies like those for Europe and Asia, many of which dey now weakened by dia own domestic turmoil.
Those allies dey also brace for him demands for increased defense spending, which many fit struggle to satisfy given dia diminished economic situations.
Biden dey lead US response, but di world dey look to Trump
Until January 20, Russia no officially Trump’s problem even if him aggressive foreign policy statements, tariff threats and trip to Paris for di reopening of di Notre Dame Cathedral dis weekend make am look like e dey already run di show.
Biden react to Assad’s fall by proclaiming justice for di Syrian pipoand vowing to prevent any instability for di country from barreling across di region.
E pledge to work with di United Nations to transition to an independent and sovereign Syria with a new constitution and a new government.
And e announce di airstrikes by B-52 bombers, F-15 fighter jets and A-10 aircraft against ISIS targets for central Syria.
But e go soon hand over to Trump, wey deep suspicion of Middle East ventures dey fueled by years of bloody foreign wars.
History also suggest say most hopeful moments for one tortured region na merely false dawns.
“I think say di US dey conflicted. On one hand, dem dey basically boast in di fact say basically dis na major setback for Russia and Iran,” Fawaz Gerges, one international relations professor for di London School of Economics, tell CNN’s Becky Anderson.
“On di other hand, di Americans sabi very well say Syria fit really go di wrong way.”
“And Syria wey Islamist Salafi movement dey rule no really be di American preference for Syria.”
One week ago, nobody go predict di end of Syria’s murderous half-century rule by Assad and him papa, di late President Hafez al-Assad.
Di speed at which di regime fall mean say e dey impossible to predict di situation wey Trump go inherit next month.
Di danger be say one nation wey dey deeply split ethnically and religiously go further splinter, say one murderous civil war go again break out and say refugees go flood neighboring states and cause one humanitarian crisis.
Even if di dominant group for di rebel coalition, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), assert control and bring peace, di economy dey in shambles, cities and public services dey ruined, and di return of refugees wey run in recent years fit breed huge instability.
So, as Trump dey consider di current US deployment for Syria, e must also decide how deeply e go engage in di country’s future and if e no do am, whether e dey content to let US adversaries fill di vacuum and build dia own power.
No obvious monetary gain dey for di US for Syria and di traditional view of most presidents say di US suppose promote stability dey clash with Trump’s character and “America First” worldview.
Still, di fall of Assad fit help enhance Israel’s security, wey dey important to Trump.
One unified, stable country fit block off Tehran’s land shipments of weapons to rebuild Hezbollah for Lebanon.
Trump dey use Assad’s fall to pressure Putin on Ukraine
Di president-elect show say e appreciate di wider implications of Assad’s fall on Sunday, placing immediate pressure on Putin to negotiate an end to di war for Ukraine, even if him post on Truth Social underplay how hard dis fit be.
“Russia and Iran dey in one weakened state right now, one bicos of Ukraine and one bad economy, di other bicos of Israel and its fighting success.”
“Likewise, (Volodymyr) Zelensky and Ukraine go like make one deal and stop di madness,” Trump write, one day afta e meet with di Ukrainian president for Paris.
“Too many lives dey so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if e keep going, e fit turn into something much bigger, and far worse. I sabi Vladimir well.
Dis na him time to act. China fit help. Di World dey wait!”
Trump vow to end di Ukraine war within 24 hours if dem elect am president, but e no clear if Putin dey ready to talk peace afta recent battlefield advances.
At di very least, e go drive one hard bargain, leading to fears say Trump go force Ukraine to accept one deal wey hand Russia territory wey dem seize in its brutal and illegal invasion.
Dat go reward Putin’s aggression. Di president-elect’s critics dey worry say e go also oppose any security guarantees for Ukraine and thwart its hopes of one path to NATO and EU membership to appease Putin.
Such one deal fit stop di killing in di short term. But Putin’s history suggest say e go probably use such one settlement to rearm and regroup for one new onslaught wey aim to wipe Ukraine off di map.
One of Trump’s former national security advisers, H.R. McMaster, urge him old boss on Sunday to treat Iran, Russia, China and North Korea as different threads of di same challenge.
“Some pipo think say you suppose try to separate dem. I think say we suppose glue dem togeda bicos wen ever we act like say dem dey separate, dem go cover for each other and act like dem no dey operate togeda,” McMaster talk on “Fox News Sunday.”
Dis, however, go fly in di face of Trump’s desire to broker individual deals with foreign dictators and to play adversaries against one anoda.
Still, di weekend’s events for Syria dey remind us of di speed of global political change at one time of shifting alliances, growing great power challenges to di United States, and di way wey even Trump’s red lines on di use of US power abroad go dey challenged by events.
“I think say di president-elect dey right to talk say di United States for di moment suppose sit back and see how dis go play out,” Uriel Epshtein, CEO of di Renew Democracy Initiative, talk on CNN International.
“I go also note say dis na actually one important moment wey we fit see how you no fit look at conflicts individually, how you suppose look at di world globally, bicos Assad’s fall for Damascus dey run through Jerusalem and Kyiv.”
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