TRUMP A NUT JOB WANTING WAR WITH N. KOREA
Original post, what to do about N. Korea was a 3 part post (July 2017) followed up by a 2 part post (August 2017). Many of you have requested follow up comments to my original post from July and August 2017. To begin, I would like to remind you of the acronym D.I.M.E. (Diplomacy Information Military Economics). This is and has been the basis to US Foreign policy for decades. This is a very simple view, but does give us a template for discussion.
QUESTIONS: Can or does N. Korea work with Iran to develop these weapons and missiles? How close are we to war with N. Korea? Is Trump off his rocker? Are other countries involved? Is this only America’s problem?
SECRETARY OF STATE TILLERSON: It is September 30, 2017 and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is sitting in China meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping discussing N. Korea. Tillerson is conducting direct talks with N. Korea. I can picture the N. Korea ambassador to China sitting in the room with Tillerson and Jinping as options are discussed and N. Korea makes demands. This is the “D” part of DIME.
BANKS CLOSE: A few weeks ago Treasurer Secretary Steve Mnuchin warned of sanctions ready to go which would target any country. He was asked by the interviewer, does that mean China? Mnuchin replied, any country. During the meetings at the UN, China did announce that it would tell all of its banks to stop doing business with N. Korea. These sanctions give much flexibility to all departments in the US Government. Countries can do business with the United States or N. Korea, but not both. Rex Tillerson has this in his kit bag as he talks directly to the N. Korean Ambassador. This is the “E” in DIME.
BACK SIDE: Just like all aspects of life this is not that simple. You have a S. Korean President that feels compassion for the children and pregnant women of N. Korea. Kim Jung Un gives priority of food to his military and by the looks of it to himself. But the S. Korean president has offered $8 million in food aid for babies and pregnant mothers. S. Korea is a sovereign nation and can do what it wishes, but I question who will get this food. Let’s not forget Iran who mysteriously received billions of dollars in 2016 because of the nuclear deal with President Obama. We know that they have been exchanging technology for years (missiles and nuclear) with N. Korea.
Q: If Iran does business with N. Korea will sanctions be imposed based on the executive order signed September 21, 2017?
COUNTRIES: China must be assured that in the event of war we will not seek to overthrow Kim Jung Un or if he should accidentally be killed, we will not rush in and occupy N. Korea. Pakistan also has an interest in the Missile technology N. Korea is developing. Why? Because India is their enemy and India is a power in that region. Pakistan uses N. Korean labor and pays N. Korea directly for that labor. If we stop that will Pakistan continue to allow us to use roads thru Pakistan to supply Afghanistan?
GOOD COP BAD COP: While Tillerson (GOOD COP) is negotiating face to face with the N. Korean ambassador (BAD COP) Trump states, “I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket man”. Trump also tweeted “Rex save your energy, we will do what has to be done.” Trump went on to say, “being nice to Rocket Man hasn’t worked in 25 years, why it would work now? Clinton failed, Bush failed and Obama failed. I won’t fail.” In interviews Security Advisor HR McMaster has stated that there are many military options available to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and UN Ambassador Niki Hailey has stated that we have kicked this can down the road as far as we can. This is the “I” & “M” in DIME.
N. KOREAN RESPONSE: Kim Jung Un threatened to shoot down an American Bomber. Kim Jun Un also created a video of firing an Exocet missile at a US Aircraft carrier showing it sinking.
WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW: We do not know where this well end, but no one wants war. You can go back in history and look at how crazy everyone thought Ronald Reagan was. Kennedy pulled a bluff during the Cuban missile crisis and Nikita Khrushchev blinked. I think Trump wants to keep them guessing while others have frank discussion behind the curtain.
END STATE: I have seen war up close and personal. Secretary of Defense Mattis, Chief of Staff General Kelly and the National Security advisor HR McMaster have all seen war and are the ones advising President Trump. Remember, GEN Kelly lost his son in Iraq. With that said N. Korea with a nuke is not the same as China or Russia with nukes during the Cold War. N. Korea has nothing to lose.
CONCLUSION: I thought to share this as a way to continue the discussion on N. Korea and clear through some of the confusion put out by the pundits and opinion people. One way or another N. Korea must be stopped and its progress to date destroyed.