Posted on 11/20/2004 11:08:02 PM PST by tallhappy
What?
Same as us, lean on him; covertly threaten Jong-Ill with the possibility of a joint American-Chinese military reaction to any N. Korean nuclear aggression.
Behind us, China is the only remaining superpower in the world, and the possibility of retaliation or reaction from Korea's stronger nation to the North is a useful bargaining tool. I think that this possibility (however slight) is the unspoken "elephant in the room" that Bush is using to make certain that Kim doesn't leave the table for good.
Why do we need China for this if it is a "military reaction"?
Why do we need a "joint" reaction of any kind?
Why would a joint reaction have to be with China?
Because the U.S. + China is a nuclear deterrant like the world has never seen. No argument can be made to stop Korea's nuclear weapon programs that is more effective that the fact that the U.S. and China run #1 & 2 in worldwide nuclear might, and we are not to be toyed with by a tin-pot loony like Kim Jong-Ill.
The presence of China, another communist nation and dictatorship (but one with a vested interest in containing the rogue nation to it's southern border) at the negotiating table also gives the situation a kind of good-cop/bad-cop attitude that we may need if we are to convince Jong-Ill that giving up the nukes is his only option.
"Trust but Verify".
PS, check you geography.
Los crikitos el chirping.
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