Daniel Pipes on Islamism and Related Topics

[Valin]

Middle East Forum

Ralf Ostner

Global Review

Oct. 12 2020

Originally published under the title "Interview with Daniel Pipes: Nuclear Iran: 'The Threat to Israel and to Many Other Countries Is Far More Immediate Than Nuclear Non-Proliferation'."

Global Review: Is it correct that, since the defeat of the Islamic State, Islamism is no longer central to U.S. foreign policy. If so, is that a smart shift?

Daniel Pipes: Yes, it is correct that in both foreign and domestic policy, Islamism has become far less central than it was in the period 2001-16. In part, this has to do with the retreat of ISIS. More importantly, jihadi violence has mostly ended, while China, the Global Left, and COVID-19 have come to dominate the news. No, this is not a smart shift; Islamism remains a great ideological threat.

GR: Trump focuses especially on China and Iran. Do you agree with that emphasis?

DP: Yes, those are primary threats, along with North Korea, Russia, Turkey, and Venezuela. My main criticism of Trump's policy toward these hostile regimes concerns his strangely warm relations with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey.

(Snip)