President Trump may be publicly disavowing diplomacy with North Korea several times a week, but North Korean officials are no more interested in getting to the negotiating table, at least for now. Officials with reclusive North Korea’s government say they don’t view this as the right time for diplomacy.
Rather, officials say North Korea’s goal is to first prove that they have a “reliable defensive and offensive capability to counter any aggression from the United States,” before getting into direct negotiations.
The rush for deterrence comes amid President Trump’s regular threats to “totally destroy” North Korea, and has been a stated goal for some time. It appears the North Koreans believe that without a deterrent capability, however, that they would be at a disadvantage in any negotiations.
Unfortunately, the opposite view is likely to be taken by the US, if history is any indicated. US officials have long been loathe to engage in diplomacy with “enemies” like the Taliban when those factions are in a survivable position, and the US impulse tends to be to escalate such wars in the hopes of eventually forcing the enemy into a no-win situation and then dictating terms.
Having noted that both Iraq and Libya were attacked by the US after they disarmed, North Korea is in no rush to do so, but it’s not clear that the tiny nation could ever have such a huge retaliatory capability that some US hawks wouldn’t still be pondering a first strike on them.
Jason, you hit the nail on the head here:
“Unfortunately, the opposite view is likely to be taken by the US, if history is any indicated. US officials have long been loathe to engage in diplomacy with “enemies” like the Taliban when those factions are in a survivable position, and the US impulse tends to be to escalate such wars in the hopes of eventually forcing the enemy into a no-win situation and then dictating terms.”
This isn’t diplomacy. This is war.
We realize that the DPRK wants the US to totally pull out of South Korea,
stop sending ships and ABM’s, and troops.. yeah, I get it, and that’s what
the U.S. should do, but Kim needs to really understand that it won’t happen.
The U.S. is literally and truthfully demanding an end to the nuclear program
and missile tests BEFORE ANY negotiation takes place.
The US is NOT going to pull out. The US does not fear any North Korean threats as it has the ability to take out DPRK missiles and satellite on order.
So you want the negotiations to start AFTER the US gets everything it wants? And you scoff at North Korea wanting to do the same.
What I want is irrelevant. I learned that a long time ago. If I were President, the troops would be out, the navy would be out, and I would seek multilateral diplomacy toward denuclearization. The DPRK says it would consider only if this is done. So I would call their bluff on it and see. Alas, I am not President, the US troops will not leave, and the US navy is perfectly capable of wiping Pyongyang off the map in 10 minutes.
Don’t you realize what the consequences would be to the US if it launches a war of aggression against North Korea? In case you either are unaware, the consequences of US aggression against NK would be disastrous for the US, as China would honor its promise to help NK and destroy the US fleet of aircraft carriers, destroyers and other ships, along with all US bases in the Pacific .. And Russia, being allied with China, would also pitch in; in other words, a devastating 3rd World War would be the result of this idiotic, insane act of aggression on the DPRK.
Not at all. The USA does not know where the bombs are, and is in its words and actions showing its fear. US troops in south Korea plus their families are in danger, though the terrible damage to South Korea or Japan probably does not matter to Trump and friends.
USA does not have to know where the bombs are. American hesitation has nothing to do with fear at all. North Korea does not have the ability to strike fear on the USA.
Another head in the clouds US optimist.
I don’t think Americans are going to be too happy if N. Korea wipes out the 60,000 Americans just a hop, skip and a jump away in S. Korea.
“The U.S. is literally and truthfully demanding an end to the nuclear program
and missile tests BEFORE ANY negotiation takes place. ”
And North Korea is literally and truthfully telling the US to go f*ck itself.
Who would believe the USA anyway, if talks were held? The JCPOA wad a firm, UN-sponsored agreement working well for two years, yet the POTUS wants it destroyed. Why try talks with a country which believes only in bullying, threats and force? ( and I do NOT mean the DPRK)