China’s Foreign Ministry spurned US demands for them to do more with respect to North Korea, saying that they’ve been making “relentless efforts” to reach a settlement to resolve the North Korea dispute. They added that all nations should show restraint after North Korea’s ICBM test.
The US and China have long been divided on how best to approach the nuclear issue, with China urging diplomacy and the US expecting threats and sanctions to eventually scare North Korea into giving in. China made a move to back the US sanctions call earlier this year but cutting the coal trade with North Korea.
But the US keeps demanding more moves, and acting like China can force North Korea to do whatever it wants, with Trump insisting today that China could “put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all.”
China, however, had hoped that with the coal sanctions they were going to get the US to also try diplomacy. This clearly was wishful thinking, however, as while they and South Korea have both repeatedly presented diplomatic proposals, the US has rejected all of them out of hand, and repeatedly mocked diplomacy as a “failed” path.
American think: a ‘little’ war between China and North Korea would stop America and it’s allied coalition from ‘having to’ attack North Korea
if that works why not a ittke war beteween China and Russia to stop the USA from ‘having to’ nuke somebody.
Or maybe nuke Mikronos will dispel the trouble… Hey, aren’t ALL options R on d’table.
There are many candidates for nuking. And they all have nukes. And our very few NATO friends with nukes are too close to those big time nuke countries we want to nuke.
Now, all four Asian nuclear powers are the permanent members of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. China, Russia, india and Pakistan. And if games continue, Iran and Turkey — already members at various status of membership, can go nuclear quickly. The neocon joke of foreign policy that pushed Saudi Arabia into confrontation with Qatar – is now in a predicament. The largest US base in the area is in Qatar. And all the grocery shelves in Doha are now stacked with products from Iran and Turkey. And this nonsense can go on for a while. It is bad enough that US has to depend on Egypt to sort it out. Egypt may have a price in mind. From Libya and Syria, to Yemen, Iraq and Iran. US is helpless here — these being parties US cannot buy anybody on the cheap. The goal for US is to restore good relationship between the two countries. Because Saudi Arabia is a massively important partner in energy and vast ideological, financial and military supplier around the globe.
It also controls Bahrein where American Fifth Fleet is stationed. Qatar cannot capitulate now as it was forced to do in 2014. Then, it had to stop supporting financially Egypt, a country on the btink of civil war, with military facilitating parliamentary and presidential elections — and the constitutional referendum. With Qatar being forced to pull back its support — Egypt was left at the mercy of US and Saudi Arabia. The result? Toppling of Morsi and MB, brutal squashing of street resistance, and presidential election that put General Sisi in power. But while in debt to Saudi Arabia for opening its purse — Sisi has sought Russian and Chinese help to balance out its dependence on US. The rocky relationship with Saudi Arabia continued. For one, Egypt has good relationship with Iran. Second, Egypt pulled out of Yemen war. Third, Egypt supports Astana process. And Qatar was humiliated. Its powerful Emir, the man equally at home on Wall Street as in its tiny but rich land, was a founder of Al-Jazeera, and believed in the need for Arab monarchies to reform into constitutional monarchies with elected bodies. He did not see the future for absolute monarchies. He was forced to abdicate in favor of his young son, Al-Jazeera went under neocon friendly management -/ becoming a tool for periodic stabbing of leadership of Arab world — to keep them obedient. Old Emir was s bit too trusting of Wall Street, and the threat to Qatar finances was real.
But US should have known that fight among monarchies is PERSONAL. And for as long as old Emir lived, his capitulation deal was honored. But since 2014 Qatar addressed its finances, established military ties with Turkey, and strenghtened relstion Iran. The only way Qatar could reliably transit gas from field it shares with Iran is through Iraq, Syria and Turkey. This is route Russia supports as well, as Europe could not do any better thrn diversifying suppliers via big pipeline coming ftom Turkey. The obstacle besides ISIS, is US plan to prop up Kurdish elements in Turkey and Syria. With ISIS on last leggs and US st pains to come up with a schema to stay in Syria — things started looking good for Qatar. Without Afrin Kurds, Kobani does not have the power to control large area. Thus, Turkey insured that a corridor of border between Syria and Turkey is assured. Then, the effort by US to control Syrian border to Iraq is on flimsy grounds — especially as ISIS is disappearing. So, Qatar can avoid cspitulation this time. This time, it was Saudi Arabia turn to force abdication of “the most pro-American” Crown Prince Al-Najaf. And his resignation from all other functions. Saudi Arabia is facing loss in Yemen, with its good friend, UAE taking chunk of South Yemen, with Oman’s approval. Both Kuwait and Oman maintaining good relations with Iran.
And US military in Doha shopping curtesy of Iran and Tutkey. Evypt will extract its pound of flesh now.
It is not 2014 any more. Those were simple days. Then, Saudi Arabia decided to humiliate Qatar and was sucessful. Following US foreign policy took Saudi Arabia too far down the path of reliance on US goals for the region. But the plans are no longer realistic, and US policy has become a series of ad hoc improvisations, with various centers of authority in US working independently and often against each othe. This was true already during John Kerry tenure, and has intensified since. While State Department and the office of the Joint Chief of Staff are occassionally on the same page, various actors in Pentagon and CIA are still competing for influence. National Security Council is advising Trump, who promptly airs such opinions in the public, just to have the mess cleaned up by more improvised explanations. The palace coup in Saudi Arabia is the result — and if I am correct, Saudi Arabia has a penance to pay — to many current snd former friends. This will lead to internal soul sesrching — and external bluster may be more for the sake of distracting the already confused US policy makers. These are dangerous times. Hope there are some adults left in the ranks of our military.
“while they and South Korea have both repeatedly presented diplomatic
proposals, the US has rejected all of them out of hand, and repeatedly
mocked diplomacy as a “failed” path.”
Exactly. Bill Clinton’s Administration achieved moratoriums on weapons development and missile technology. But success was limited becasue the US only wanted one-way concessions… and then Dubya started blustering about Axis of Evil (meaning NKor was a target for Regime Change)…
Instead of going the route of Iraq, Libya, Syria and Afghanistan, NKor wisely close to fight back the way Iran did … ultimately the US reached agreement with Iran (though, as usual, there are voices calling for a double-cross)..
There are solutions to the NKor problem… but the US only wants to threaten and bluster…
“….while they and South Korea have both repeatedly presented diplomatic
proposals, the US has rejected all of them out of hand, and repeatedly
mocked diplomacy as a “failed” path….”
that says it all.
and the US never offers the one critical thing that north Korea truly wants, a peace treaty and non-agression pact with the US. To end the korean war and assure no aggression against the North.
But even that now would probably not work and be a mistake for them, as look what happened to Iraq and Libya when they didn’t ‘comply’ with outrageous US demands on any number of things…
the US is clearly the antagonistic and obstructionist world power right now. it doesn’t want peace, even when it hypocritically calls on others to “negotiate” the only thing it knows how to do is slap on sanctions and bomb bomb bomb if leaders and nations don’t ‘cooperate’…. Who the hell would trust the US?
Bernard has a perspective here
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/07/-and-the-rockets-red-glare-north-korea-wishes-a-happy-4th-of-july.html