Article snippet: MORE’s approach to defense and national security issues in his first year in office has been a shock to the global system. In some areas, his moves have been less dramatic than expected. He continued the war in Afghanistan, didn’t move to refill the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and hasn’t yet ripped up the Iran nuclear deal. But in other areas, his presidency has been anything but conventional. He got into Twitter spats with allies like Britain and foes like North Korea, gave the military more autonomy to strike terrorists without his approval and fulfilled a promise to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel despite widespread international opposition. “The biggest characteristic of the year is just the huge gap between what members of the Cabinet are saying and what the president is saying,” said Michael Carpenter, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. “That’s partially responsible for what’s roiling allies and enemies alike.” Trump came into office with few firm stances on foreign policy, beyond a promise to put “America first.” During the campaign, he promised to “bomb the shit” out of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), fill Guantanamo with “bad dudes” and return to waterboarding and a “hell of a lot worse.” He talked of improving relations with Russia even as the U.S. intelligence community assessed Moscow interfered in the presidential election. He disparaged international alliances, questioning whether he would come to the defen... Link to the full article to read more