Speaking today during a visit to Japan, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared the last 20 years of “diplomatic and other efforts” with North Korea to have failed, declaring North Korea’s nuclear program an “ever-escalating threat,” and calling for a new approach.
Between rising tensions with North Korea, and the US deploying missile drones to the border just a few days ago, this talk of a new approach may be seen as an ominous sign of a more directly confrontational policy, it’s not totally clear that’s the case, since Tillerson went out of his way to avoid details.
The declaration that diplomacy has “failed” may also be targeted at China, which has been trying to coax the US and North Korea to the negotiating table, and suggesting mutual measures aimed at reducing tensions, proposals which were immediately rejected by the US.
Indeed, the Trump Administration went out of its way just last week to declare diplomacy was not viable because North Korea is “irrational,” and today’s comments only underscore that stance by the Trump Administration, although it also raises doubts about whether diplomacy can really be said to have “failed” if they’re unwilling to even countenance it as an option.
Tillerson also appeared to try to forestall the fear that this was a prelude to military action, at least a bit, by insisting that North Korea has “nothing to fear” from the US, though again this came just a couple of weeks after the White House openly declared military force an option against them.
Japanese officials appeared quick to concur with Tillerson that diplomacy was not an option with North Korea, and with South Korea having been quick to lash out at Chinese proposals for trust-building concessions, it is unclear what might bring the US to the negotiating table in the future.
Wars are always a remedy for sagging poll numbers.
With opposition to war fixed at high levels among ordinary Americans, this “remedy” will wear off in the (near) future with increasing rapidity …..
Let’s hope so.
Why do these lying people speak of countries as persons? Do they have “tensions with North Korea”? No, they have tensions with _other diplomats_.
Hang on a minute here, 20 years of Diplomacy no 20 years ago there WAS diplomacy President Clinton brokered a deal where the Nuclear Reactor that made Plutonium was shut down……..IT WAS COLD! Clinton’s deal was close the reactor down America will provide fuel oil to power diesel generation! This was done……….. Then we got BUSH or should I say then we got BONKERS BOLTON! He convinced Bush to reverse the deal! So to have power the North restarted the Reactor, worse still the rhetoric from Bonkers and Bush saw the North Koreans worried about invasion, they saw what happened in Iraq and they saw what was happening in Iran and hey they were the third party in the axis of evil! So they did what they had to and built nuclear weapons, and a nuclear weapon is no good without a method of delivery so the missiles are now being built!. If Bush and Bonkers had not have done what they did 16 years ago we probably wouldn’t have the problem, I would go as far as if Bonkers hadn’t been on the scene, the North Korean problem probably wouldn’t be there full stop!
Absent of US military presence, the Koreas would have re-united already. It’s like we ignored the lessons from the re-unification of Germany. Maybe they’re scared of how powerful an independent and re-unified Korea would be.
This is a key part of it. The US has nothing to benefit from this kind of sabre rattling with N.Korea as a threat. They’re obviously not a threat, and most likely never will be. But the threat has been thoroughly sold to Americans and that begs the question of why?
A possible answer would be that it’s the opportunity for the US to enter China’s sphere of influence with huge force, on the pretense of a defense on behalf of S.Korea.
And so I offer up the idea of that being a part of Trump’s plans to make America great again. Perhaps a step in the logic that is going to be difficult for Americans to accept, but very important that they consider it carefully. And make no mistake, the Democrats aren’t going to accept the idea in the least. They are the war party now, just as much as the Repubs are. Scary to think that neither side is going to be opposed to the other side’s war!
Could there be any other explanation of why the US is escalating war preparations in S.Korea?
A backward, isolated and militaristic regime refuses to negotiate, and instead prefers to make bellicose statements while developing nuclear weapons. North Korea isn’t all that great either. The strange part here is that these leaders don’t recognize themselves in the other. Or maybe that’s the whole problem, the proof that the other can’t be trusted.
Just to let you know that comment didn’t go unnoticed! But just a word of caution in that N.Korea can only react with threats and nothing more.
I would suggest that China has the situation in hand and understands that the US is using an opportunity to build up offensive military assets against China.
I have this ominous feeling every time the Koreas question comes up that Trump’s plan to make America great again is at work.
That’s a place that Raimondo doesn’t want to go and it’s very dangerous to not bring it up for consideration.
Kim’s days are numbered. He should take the “booze and hookers” option, not the “fight to the death” option. Whatever he chooses, he’s done, and soon.
There’s no mistaking that you’ve bought your party’s line when you post on this site. But then in fairness, you represent most Americans with your prowar ideology.
And when you say that Kim’s days are numbered, you are only saying that you hope his days are numbered.
Keep it up. you’re the contrast that decent people need as a comparison to their efforts to promote peace.
You’re wrong, and I’m not a member of any political party. I did not vote for Obama, or George W. Bush. I was against the Gulf War in 1991, against the Iraqi Invasion of 2003, against Aghanistan in 2001, and against Vietnam. I do however, reckon that North Korea must be dealth with before it is too late. You see, I’m not the ideologue, you are.
You are exactly how you describe yourself. You are fully convinced that North Korea is totally at fault and the US is guilt free. That is the scenario that always needs to be promoted for another US led war. You represent your fellow Americans as they place all the guilt on North Korea. Your position is solid and non-negotiable. You see your country on the side of right and you will prefer nuclear war to ever abandoning your country’s cause,
In the final analysis, you need to know that if China becomes involved then it’s your country’s children will die in the same way as those orientals will die. Will it be worth it?
Sleep well.
By most accounts, Kim already has the booze and hookers operation, on a grand scale, and power too.
By most accounts which are US accounts, N.Korea and it’s people are all insane and less than human.
That’s how the prowar agenda is being promoted by you.
No, it’s “belligerence with North Korea has failed” (belligerence begets belligerence)
Spot on.
When they speak of imaginary “Tables” and “Options” that generally means they have no idea what to do at the moment.
Raimondo presents a long winded chronology on the Koreas without a mention of Obama. Hmmm. Maybe he’s been listening to some complaints on this site of continuously alienating the left so maybe he’s going to scale that back a bit! A positive point to make on his long history lesson.
But the biggest problem is that he misses the point that the US (Trump) is going to use N.Korea to justify a build-up of socalled missile ‘defense’ in order to quietly set the playing field against China. China doesn’t miss this intent one bit.
Granted, it’s difficult for any American to see the whole picture, and that’s because they are a player in the game.
Raimondo does accomplish a good amount of demonizing of North Korea though. He’s bought into the demonization efforts of his country and one would wonder why anybody who claims to support the antiwar effort would do that? Nobody could read that without coming away with the notion of N.Korea’s leaders being insane, reitterated and strengthened.
As for his promotion of Trump? At least he’s not talking it up in that one; he’s only asking whether there is any hope in Trump or not. This has most likely been the result of his week off to think about his Trump dilemma.
I suspect the US will not negotiate with NK.
It will negotiate with China. It will do as China has suggested, and let China take the lead, finally, instead of going all We Are the Borg, Resistance Is Futile.
Wherever there is strive, bloodshed, trouble, angiush, war ..anything that has to do with pain, death and all sorts of tragedy, there you will find the U.S. why cant the US and those officials concentrate on things that edifies humanity. From North to South, West to East , its all Chaos and the footprint is always that of America. why?? Why not the same effort put into orchestrating this chaos be channelled into helping humanity!!
A people will get the kind of leader they deserve. Otherwise peaceful country are razed down, People displaced, no where is out of bound, The US is messing up Syria. They were never invited yet, they assumed unwelcomed role ..WHY WHY WHY!!!
Tillerson: North Korea Diplomacy Has Failed
ALL THE FAULT HAS BEEN FIRMLY PLACE ON NORTH KOREA. IT’S BEING REINFORCED RIGHT NOW BY MATTHEWS ON MSNBC.
NO AMERICANS ARE GOING TO DISPUTE THAT ISN’T
TRUE.
WAR WITH NORTH KOREA IS NOT INEVITABLE BUT IT’ NOW QUITE LIKELY
IF WAR WITH NORTH KOREA STARTS THEN IT’S VERY LIKELY THAT NORTH KOREA WILL RESORT TO USING THEIR NUCLEAR WEAPONS
THE US WILL RESPOND WITH THE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS FORCE.
CHINA MAY DO LIKEWISE!
Trump is leading the world to nuclear war even more quickly than any of us could have predicted. Now is the time for the US to eliminate the threat to world peace.
We don’t remember any diplomatic efforts,all we remember sanctions, threat and military exercise with With Korea. Newer inniciated any efforts to have a talk with Birth Korea.
This man is dictator and he is really believe USA would attack to North. Perhaps they will and catastrophy in making.
Why don’t you talk with them?