Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, continuing to send wildly conflicting statements of administration policy compared to the rest of the cabinet, today insisted that the US was willing to hold talks with North Korea, on the condition that Pyongyang half its missile tests.
This offer would be an unusual offer of an olive branch by the US, and a chance to get the sort of serious talks with North Korea that both China and South Korea have been loudly advocating for some time now. But is it a real offer?
That’s not clear, as just a week ago US Ambassador Nikki Haley declared “the time for talk is over,” and since then US officials have been talking up attacking North Korea outright, with National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster talking favorably of a “preventative war.”
There’s no definitive way to determine which of these positions is the real administration position, though President Trump has been very sour on the idea of diplomacy with North Korea in general in his own comments on the matter, presenting diplomacy in general as a “failed” policy.
“Pyongyang half its missile tests.” I assume this is a misprint!!
Notice the USA always has to have the other party give in first. Why not have the talks and allay the legitimate fears of DPRK? Bill Clinton started this plan, “W” stopped it, with his “axis of evil” peace plan(!) and even this year talks were arranged and the US State Dept withheld the visas. Who made that decision?
With the DPRK it is no longer a matter of take only by our administration. When you sit down at the long table to talk you must be prepared to give. The government of the DPRK, having witnessed what happened with Iran, will not be satisfied with a reduction of sanctions. It will demand a peace treaty ratified by the US Senate.
Nothing Tillerson says can be taken seriously. He’s making way too much sense to be part of the Trump team much longer. Of course even he puts preconditions on talks as is our way.