Tweeting of Donald Trump vs gunning of Idi Amin

Just finished reading the book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White” and analysed the statements of Mr. Steve Bannon, which gives the impressions that White House has been occupied by children and is turned into a playground for them. The author has declared White House as Legoland and this book reminds me of Mr. Idi Amin, the then President of Uganda who ruled it from 1971 to 1979. I see lot of similarity between tweeting politics of Donald Trump and gunning politics of Idi Amin when he was “gunning down his opponents”, which ran in thousands including one priest with his gun and Donald Trump “tweeting down his opponents” with his smartphone. Both share impulsiveness and impatient natures and lacking of patience always lead to hasty and irrational decisions. President Idi Amin lost his office because of his gun, which he had used at wrong timings and on wrong targets and finally his hasty and jumpy actions had cost him his presidential office and rest is the history. He believed in his own way of life and he used to act as investigator, prosecutor, judge, president and field marshal.

President Donald Trump fires his tweets in all directions, like President Idi Amin, without realising its consequences. His tweets are meant for those who oppose his policies and including media if it highlights cases against him. Most recently he has bashed The New York Times, its administration and journalists.

In fact, his one finger is on the smartphone as president and his other finger is on the most dangerous nuclear devices and flying killers, which can hit any target including some capitals of the world. President of the United States has been painted as “childish” by his previous advisor and the author of the book. The world is worried that one hand of President Donald Trump is on Twitter button and the other one is on the most dangerous nuclear command and control system and what happens if his impulsiveness triggers to act and it is likely that instead of sending tweet he may press nuclear button to hit one of his hostile countries.

I feel that he is “stable genius” as he has managed to reach White House despite being bashed by his political opponents. He is, however, better advised as compared to Idi Amin, as CIA operates under a code of conduct and also handled international dirty tricks skillfully and such dirty tricks have already been exposed by Phillip and Aggies, former senior agents of CIA who later on claimed political asylum in Europe. CIA undertakes very well strategised covert and overt operations where they have the licence to act anywhere in a strange manner.

The question rises whether President Donald Trump takes advice from his intelligence aide before firing such tweets or he reacts to his wild imagination ignoring that he is the President of USA. The tweeting by President Donald Trump is affecting the whole world as he holds the most powerful office of a world power. I therefore feel that a smartphone in the hand of an impulsive or a “childish” president is a security risk for USA in particular and rest of the world in general. It would, therefore, be prudent if he is restricted from using mobile phone for the sake of his own security or have Twitter and Facebook apps removed from his mobile till he is in the White House.

This toy in his hand may cost heavily for the world one day. He has worried the entire world by tweeting in response to the President of North Korea Kim Jong Un that he has a “bigger and more powerful” nuclear button.

Pakistan has already fallen victim to his tweets where he has levelled charges of “lies and deceit” on Pakistan without verification from his authorities. Pakistan, however, has given befitting response to his unwarranted tweet and he will get same response if he repeats any disrespectful misadventures

The new mode of politics of Donald Trump through tweets is getting dangerous. The war of tweets between the world leadership and its after effects may bring irreversible level of miscommunication, which needs to be addressed prudently. USA needs to adopt a reasonable state policy like in the past. I am afraid to warn that this firing of tweets may not turn into nuclear fireball engulfing the whole world into irreversible situation of World War–III. The world today needs to sit together and find out a solution as to how to handle the new emerging situation.

In addition to what is being unveiled by close associate of Donald Trump, the rest of world also find him a beyond belief person who has committed a number of controversial moves. In a short period as President of the USA, we see he destabilised Middle East, tried to harm the interfaith harmony by declaring Jerusalem as capital of the Israel. In another tweet, Donald Trump has hit at Prime Minister Theresa May after she criticised him for re-tweeting three anti-Muslim videos posted by a British Far-Right group.

It was astonishing for the whole Muslim world when President Donald Trump bashed Muslims during his visit to Saudi Arabia and tried to create a wedge between Muslim countries and later stabbed the Muslim and Christians by declaring Jerusalem as capital of the Israel.

Americans treat him as baby president and world compare him with Idi Amin; India considers him a junior partner who can be dictated and provoked against Pakistan at any time and so for far he has not made any negative statement against PM Modi vis-à-vis his abuse of human rights and killings of innocent Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir as well as involvement in supporting and training of terrorists who have been carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan from across the border.

It is obvious that Donald Trump could not assemble a loyal team and he has to burn extra energy to convince the Americans and others that he is serious in his job. He has to perhaps follow the government rules of business instead of “tweeting foreign policy”. Donald Trump has to review the terminology of “war on terror” by revisiting it honestly and pragmatically to identify if this is now still a ”war on terror “ or turned into “tug of war” to destabilise the regions in the name of “Al-Qaeda of yesterday “ or “Daesh of today“. It is likely that people would start calling it as “war of strategic motives “ as wars of USA” were still there when there was no “war on terror” like the earlier “war of USA-Afghan-Soviet Union” for which Pakistan still paying heavy price for siding with USA, Mr President Donald Trump. USA will have to revisit its policy on “war on terror” and work out a solution out of the box in consultation with other international players on urgent basis.

I would advise President Donald Trump to withdraw US forces forthwith from Afghanistan and other locations including Iraq before it becomes “humiliating withdrawals” like Vietnam debacle. If USA did not stop this geo-political game then world would react, which would put the USA core interest at risk besides aggravating the internal polarisation within USA.

I hope President Donald Trump takes more serious and pragmatic approach and I hope history may not remember him as the Idi Amin of USA and he would maintain the dignity of his office. The non-serious advisors and the ongoing approach in Middle East and South Asia may create potential threat for World War– III.

Let the game of guns and tweets to end and USA to consider marching towards international peace. We Pakistani respect those who respect us and disrespect those who disrespect us. Please keep your dollars with you and return us thousands of our loved ones who lost their lives in your war on terror Mr President Donald Trump.

The writer is Chairman of think tank "Global Eye" & former Interior Minister of Pakistan. @Email: rmalik1212@gmail.com, Twitter @Senrehmanmalik, @GlobalEye_GSA, WhatsApp +923325559393