U.S. must talk to his regime (Whoooo Boy alert)

New York Daily News ^ | July 6, 2006 | BILL RICHARDSON

[yoe]

On July 4, while Americans across the country were getting their bottle rockets and Roman candles ready to celebrate our independence, a small, poor country half a world away was preparing its own "rockets' red glare."

North Korea's Fourth of July missile test was several things: an infantile demonstration of aggression by an isolated nation and a seriously destabilizing act felt throughout the Pacific Rim. But most of all it was a failure - a failure of a missile technology and a failure of diplomacy.

This test was a failure for North Korea because its outdated Taepodong 2 missile crashed prematurely into the Sea of Japan. But we also now see that the Bush administration's handsoff stance toward North Korea is not working. As the world's greatest superpower, we should be actively engaged in disarming and lessening the North Korean threat.

I traveled to North Korea last October and won from the North Koreans an agreement to return to the six-party talks involving the United States, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia. Those talks were to be focused on lessening the nuclear threat on the Korean peninsula - but they have stalled over unrelated financial disagreements.

We need to return to the table and hammer out the details of a comprehensive solution to North Korea's nuclear threat. We also need to start an aggressive, bilateral dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea - including what concrete economic benefits will come North Korea's way if it cooperates on dismantling its nuclear program.

[yoe]

We must turn North Korea away from its nuclear brinkmanship and toward providing a stable food supply and more opportunity for its people. This means direct engagement from the highest levels in Washington employing all the tools at our disposal.

We are doing this in New Mexico.

New Mexico is like N. Korea?

[dighton]

“Land of Enchantment and Juche Idea”

[Bigh4u2]

I can't help but think of Neville Chamberlain when reading this tripe.

[Tijeras_Slim]

What do you expect from Kim Jong Bill.

[BenLurkin]

Makes no sense whatsoever.


Where do ninnies like this come from?

There's no point in talking to NK. Their leader is not rational

You just can't have a 'dialog' with a kook. It isn't possible

[Rummyfan]

We need to return to the table and hammer out the details of a comprehensive solution to North Korea's nuclear threat.

Doubt Richardson's comprehensive solution includes NK disarmament and the deposing of Kim Jong-Il. He didn't learn anything from the Clinton / Albright / Carter fiasco did he?

[Gorzaloon]

We need to return to the table and hammer out the details of a comprehensive solution to North Korea's nuclear threat.

This must be one of those masochists who enjoys arguing with drunks and Moonies.

[hsalaw]

We must turn North Korea away from its nuclear brinkmanship and toward providing a stable food supply and more opportunity for its people. This means direct engagement from the highest levels in Washington employing all the tools at our disposal. We are doing this in New Mexico.

New Mexico is engaging in "nuclear brinkmanship" and is without a "stable food supply"? Bill, Bill; get a grip. Apples and oranges, here. Plus, this plan of trying to buy N. Korea back to reality was tried by the Clintoons and Maddie Halfbright, which is what got us where we are now.

[Bahbah]

We also need to start an aggressive, bilateral dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea - including what concrete economic benefits will come North Korea's way if it cooperates on dismantling its nuclear program.

The very definition of stupidity...do the same thing we did before and expect a different result.

[50sDad]

On July 4, while Americans across the country were getting their bottle rockets and Roman candles ready to celebrate our independence, a small, poor country half a world away was preparing its own "rockets' red glare."

Idiot author compares the founding of our great and glorious nation, which has saved the world from totalitarian rule three times now, with a tin-pot dictatorship run by an evil madman as if they were on equal grounds, then grabs for the sympathy vote by pointing out it is a "small, poor country", without noting what makes it poor...the extortion of it's pot-bellied leader.

As the world's greatest superpower, we should be actively engaged in disarming and lessening the North Korean threat.

I guarantee that we are actively engaged in disarming and lessening the North Korean threat...just not by opening up our checkbook and writing a boat payment for Kim Il. We are studying senerios and planning strike teams. That is the only kind of negotiation that evil men understand. Anything eles is just paying the bully not to beat us up.

[edcoil]

I traveled to North Korea last October and won from the North Koreans an agreement to return to the six-party talks involving the United States, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia. I'd say you won nothing - how'd that work out for you.

[EagleUSA]

Well just remember who enabled all this crap -- the three stooges --- Carter, Clinton and HalfBright. Slobbering liberals all -- they set this moron, lying communist up with the technology he needed --- afterall, HalfBright really felt it was WRONG for the USA to be the only country with weapons, the only big superpower.

God save America from liberalism and the left.

[Clara Lou]

You just can't have a 'dialog' with a kook. It isn't possible
Not to mention the fact that the people are starving because of Kim's policies [a huge portion of their budget goes to the military]. It's amazing to me that, no matter how others create problems, it's the US's responsibility to pony up the money to make things right--and when we do, they still aren't right. Look at Africa for an example.

[Paloma_55]

I am amazed at the leftists' claims that a failed missle launch somehow mandates our direct engagement with this guy.

A SUCCESSFUL launch, maybe, but a FAILED launch?!??!!?

Seems to me, our strategy is working well. We want to make this guy a pariah in the world and his failed launches did JUST THAT.

What more should we be doing? I think that we should be communicating that we are preparing a massive nuclear strike on locations that we anticipate Kim Jeong Il to be on the first indication of any movement to the south, and then just shoot down his missles whenever he launches them. Unlike us, NK HAS to prepare their missles in open view for weeks prior to launch. We can drop them on the pad with a ship-based cruise missle if we want.

North Korea is not a threat...but the Democrats are.

They are ready to surrender our dominance in the world in the name of pacifism... but surrender to terror will not bring peace...it will bring a swift knife to the throat.

[stylin19a]

His trip was unofficial.... check out this interview...seems he was horns-waggled Dog & Pony Show

[RexBeach]

I don't think Governor Bill has been paying attention to what's going on in the world.

Talking won't work the "Dear Leader." He's crackers.

[Paloma_55]

" We need to return to the table and hammer out the details of a comprehensive solution to North Korea's nuclear threat. We also need to start an aggressive, bilateral dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea - including what concrete economic benefits will come North Korea's way if it cooperates on dismantling its nuclear program."

Oh, and another thing... rewrite this to the following;

"if it cooperates on dismantling its totalitarian government."

[joe fonebone]

he got it partially right.........we need to return to the table and hammer north korea, not "hammer out an agreement".

[sageb1]

"GOV. BILL RICHARDSON: Well, I noted on this trip a lot less hostility. I noticed around Pyongyang and the rural areas that we visited the vitriolic anti-American signs weren't there. They seemed to be for the first time respecting the American negotiators had that they have to deal with. Sure, there is a lot of mutual distrust, suspicion. But I found that being a marked change from the past."

He misread bigtime. That wasn't respect they were showing.

[DoctorMichael]

"......we should be actively engaged in disarming and lessening the North Korean threat......"

We ALREADY attempted this during the Klintoon Administration when your colleague Maddy Halfbright visited the looney-bin known as North Korea, as well as that stalwart peacenik Jimmuh Katuh.

They lied and cheated on all agreements.