North Korea - Bush Gets It Right, Albiet Six Years Late

[Bonestorm]

Fucking appeaser:

TOKYO — North Korea took a step on Thursday toward re-integration into the world community and rapprochement with the United States by submitting for outside inspection a long-delayed declaration of its nuclear program.

The Bush administration almost immediately announced it would remove the country it once described as part of the “axis of evil” from the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The 60-page declaration from North Korea, one of the world’s most isolated and impoverished nations, was expected to describe in previously undisclosed detail its capabilities in nuclear power and nuclear weapons — meeting a major demand of the United States and other countries that consider the North a dangerous source of instability.

“This can be a moment of opportunity for North Korea,” said President Bush, announcing the declaration at the White House. “If it continues to make the right choices it can repair its relationship with the international community.”

With issues like Iran and Iraq still unresolved, the Bush administration considers the North Korean declaration a notable diplomatic achievement in the waning months of the current presidency.

Mr. Bush said in the principle of “action for action,” the United States would lift some restrictions on commercial dealings with North Korea and within 45 days end its designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. “Today we have taken a step toward a nuclear free Korean peninsula,” he said.

I'd like to see John McCain's response to this. He has advocated the use of force against North Korea since at least 1999 and has flatly rejected engaging in any form of diplomacy with North Korea at all.

As it turns out, diplomacy works when we give it an honest effort. Dropping bombs isn't the answer to every foreign policy problem.



http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/world/asia/27nuke.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

 

[blackascoal]

Fucking appeaser:





I'd like to see John McCain's response to this. He has advocated the use of force against North Korea since at least 1999 and has flatly rejected engaging in any form of diplomacy with North Korea at all.

As it turns out, diplomacy works when we give it an honest effort. Dropping bombs isn't the answer to every foreign policy problem.



http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/world/asia/27nuke.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Exactly, but the diplomacy didn't come from the cowboys, it came from Europe .. while the cowboys had their fingers on the trigger.

 

[Bonestorm]

Exactly, but the diplomacy didn't come from the cowboys, it came from Europe .. while the cowboys had their fingers on the trigger.

Actually, this guy deserves a lot of credit, along with others at the State Department that refused to let the Vice President's Office dictate the North Korean policy:

Christopher R. Hill was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs on April 8, 2005.

Ambassador Hill is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service whose most recent assignment was as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. On February 14, 2005, he was named as the Head of the U.S. delegation to the Six-Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear issue. Previously he has served as U.S. Ambassador to Poland (2000-2004), Ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia (1996-1999) and Special Envoy to Kosovo (1998-1999). He also served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Southeast European Affairs in the National Security Council.