Donald Trump and the Middle East: Trump’s Middle East could be Biden’s hell

United States Arms Industry it’s going very well, especially after Donald Trump has traded in the Middle East. In mid-August, Israel and the United Arab Emirates established diplomatic relations. Bahrain followed the following month, and in October it was Sudan’s turn. The last country to date is Morocco, which normalized its relations with Israel last week. The common denominator for everyone is that they can now buy as many guns from the United States as they want. The Emirates have already ordered F-35 fighter jets. Morocco will buy weapons for just under 9 billion crowns from the United States, where the Reaper MQ-9 drone killing machine is listed as a very important item.

It’s not just the guns that are in the pot when Donald Trump sends his farewell message to Joe Biden. Sudan has been removed from the US list of terrorist states, which means that the country can obtain international loans. Morocco has received a suitable gift package: the United States has recognized the illegal occupation of Western Sahara for 45 years, an area rich in phosphates and with large banks of fish and promising oil deposits in the outer waters. The Polisario liberation front, which controls about a quarter of the territory, has been fighting the headwinds for years. Now it seems that the front has received the death blow.

The Saharawi population (a mixture of Arabs and Berbers) in the Moroccan-controlled areas of Western Sahara are largely treated like the Palestinians in the West Bank. Two occupations 500 miles apart have now become much more spacious for some.

The reward for entering the Trump fold is recognition of Israel. In many ways, this is just formalizing something that has been a fact for many years. Morocco has had more or less secret relations with Israel since 1948, especially in terms of intelligence. In the 1980s, Israelis helped Moroccans build a wall in occupied Western Sahara.

He’s Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kuschner, who is behind much of Trump’s Middle East policy. America’s motives are economic, political, and military. In addition to the arms industry, other parts of the American business community will also benefit from what is happening now. Politically, Israel is, as always, high on the Trump administration’s agenda, and Israelis can be very happy with what has happened, economically, politically, and militarily. Israel’s technology, both civilian and military, can now make its way to friendly Arab countries. Israel is not as politically isolated in the Middle East as before, and not least, now the Israelis have allies with whom they can openly support in the conflict with Iran.

Because it is iran it’s about a lot. Donald Trump has ended the international nuclear deal and, together with Israel, has had plans on how to topple the clerical regime in Tehran. Here they have common interests with Sunni Muslim Arab countries that are in open conflict with Shiite-ruled Iran.

Iran has its foot and more in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. With what is happening in other parts of the Middle East, the Iranians will likely try to strengthen their position in these countries. More polarization is expected.

That’s it who meets Joe Biden when he is sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on January 20. Biden went to the polls to overturn Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Iran nuclear deal. Now it can be difficult. The newly elected president is unlikely to oppose the normalization of relations between the so-called moderate Arab countries and Israel, but the way it is done puts him in a headache. Trump has laid the groundwork, Biden has little room for maneuver. It must try at all costs to avoid a war in which Iran is involved, but it may face great challenges, especially in Iraq and Syria.

It is not just the Iran conflict that can escalate. Algeria, which in its own interests has been to a greater or lesser extent a supporter of the Polisario, is furious about what happened in Morocco. The border between the two countries has been closed since 1994. Now alarming statements are coming from the Algiers authorities. Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad says “Zionist unity” is threatening Algeria’s borders. It is part of history that Algeria is supported by Russia.

I can’t take enough beatings

For now There is a month left of Trump’s reign and more countries can follow in the footsteps of Israel’s recognition. Qatar is one of them, not least as it has become a hot topic as the Saudi-led boycott of the oil and gas-rich country appears to be coming to an end. And what about Saudi Arabia itself? The Saudis let their obedient Bahrain act as a test pilot in September, and on November 22, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a secret meeting with the real leader of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh. .

The Saudis are on the side of Israel, Iran’s greatest enemy. This does not bode well.