Cease and Desist

Starting a few weeks ago, Trump began claiming that he ended six wars – including one only last week.  (How many of you were aware of that one?  Put up your hands.  Anyone??)  This wildly false assertion was made all the more bizarre by including the Rwanda genocide – which actually ended in 1994, when Trump was partying with Jeffrey Epstein. 

He’s now added that this by stating that he doesn’t believe in ceasefires.  An insistence belied, of course, by relentless reality.

But it’s those six wars he keeps stating he’s ended that bewilders me.  But I’m not especially bewildered by Trump making the claim – this is Trump, after all.  The same guy who insisted that he came up with the phrase “priming the pump,” among his many tense of thousands lies.  No, what most bewilders me is why the press never pushes back on this and asks him to please explain what six wars he’s ended.  And not only ended, but in this six months since he took office in January.

I did some researching, because I just had to know what on earth Trump keeps talking about which the press never seems to ask him about.  I finally tracked down an article here in The Guardian that does a very good job trying to figure it all out.

According to the paper, the fighting that Trump claims to have settled are those between Israel and Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Cambodia and Thailand, India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, and Egypt and Ethiopia.

But The Guardian notes that the claims is (shockingly…) “embellished and in some cases contradicted by continued violence” in some countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where rebels missed a deadline to reach a peace deal last week.  Further, they go into details on the other five claims, writing --

“In Iran, the US carried out its own strikes using bunker-buster bombs against military and nuclear facilities before strong-arming Iran to accept a ceasefire.  India has denied that Trump played any role in reaching a ceasefire deal with Pakistan to end days of strikes over the disputed Kashmir territory in May.  Egypt and Ethiopia have no deal to settle the root of their conflict – a Nile River dam constructed by Ethiopia that would divert water from Egypt.  And Serbia has denied it had any plans to pursue a war with Kosovo, although Trump took credit for preventing one.”

The remaining war in Trump’s “List of Six” – Cambodia and Thailand – isn’t ended, but Trump is trying to work out a (say it all together…) ceasefire.

Ah, that pesky Trump claim of not believing in ceasefires.  As he told European leaders yesterday (who all know better what he was delusionally lying), “If you look at the six deals that I settled this year, they were all at war. I didn’t do any ceasefires. I don’t think you need a ceasefire.”

His insistence in saying that he doesn’t believe in ceasefires has only come about after criticism that he wasn’t able to reach a ceasefire agreement in his Alaska meeting last Friday with Vladimir Putin, which Trump had said was one of his goals.  But now, after failing at that, Trump says he doesn’t believe in them and doesn’t “do any ceasefires.”

As The Guardian wrote --

“But his record speaks otherwise. On 10 May, after the outbreak of violence between India and Pakistan, Trump announced:  ‘After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence.’

“On 26 July, Trump [wrote on social media] he was calling the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia in order to call for a ceasefire after three days of border fighting. ‘The call with Cambodia has ended, but expect to call back regarding War stoppage and Ceasefire based on what Thailand has to say. I am trying to simplify a complex situation!’  [As noted, this is one of those wars he says he ended!]

“And on Israel and Iran, Trump had also written: “It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE.’”

So much for ending six wars and not ever doing ceasefires.

I look forward to someone in the press asking him – “What in the world are you talking about???!!”

Oh, and he said he would end Russia’s war against Ukraine on Day One of his new term. 

He hasn’t.  Day 212.