Posted on 07/10/2006 3:06:34 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
U.S. Stance Hardening Against North
JULY 10, 2006 03:03
by Jung-Ahn Kim, Myoung-Gun Lee (credo@donga.com gun43@donga.com)
On July 9, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, the chief U.S. negotiator for the six-party talks, referred to a series of missiles launched by North Korea as “Intimidation targeting not only the U.S. but also all [neighboring countries].”
Hill, who is on his visit to participating countries of the six-party talks after the North Korean missile launch, reiterated so in an interview on the day with the Dong-A Ilbo at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to Korea in Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul before heading for Japan. “Now in Washington, there are no doves but realists,” he said, representing the hard-line stances in the U.S. administration calling for retaliatory measures against North Korea.
“North Korea fired the missiles without notifying any of the participants of the six-party talks in advance. Neither China nor Russia knew that,” added Hill.
“Launching [short-range] Scud missiles, which are unrelated to the test-launch of a long-range missile, is interpreted as blackmailing one’s counterparts,” said the assistant secretary of state. “The measures that each country should take might be different, but we share the consensus that a clear message should be sent to the North.”
He also pointed out, “It seems that Pyongyang is happy with the results, as its short- and intermediate-range missiles hit the points that it initially targeted during night hours when it is not easy to launch missiles. We cannot just conclude this missile launch is a total failure.”
Regarding North Korea’s response that it would “come back to the talks only when the financial sanctions against it are lifted,” he said, “If North Korea agrees in the six-party talks, the amount of energy funding they will be receiving from countries involved would make up for the losses ($24 million) from the sanctions against the Banco Delta Asia (BDA). They are making big misjudgments.”
Asked if he believes the North’s “pushing for the missile launch is a signal that it is no longer interested in dialogue and engagement,” Hill avoided making an answer immediately but suggested that stronger sanctions against North Korea be necessary.
Without making a direct answer, he said, “North Korea has not been participating in the six-party talks, complaining about such words as “axis of evil” and “outpost of tyranny,” suspension of the light-water reactor project and financial sanctions. Nine months since we had the last round of the six-party talks last year, it is now responding by launching missiles.”
On July 8 and 9, Hill met Ban Ki-mun, the minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Lee Jong-seok, the minister of Unification; Song Min-sun, the director of the Office of Unification, Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Planning; and Chun Young-woo, the director of the Negotiation Headquarters for Peace on the Korean Peninsula, to discuss cooperation in policies for North Korea after its launch of missiles.
He reportedly suggested to the Korean government that five-party talks excluding North Korea be held in case the North does not come back to the six-party talks for a long while,” but Chun said, “Five-party talks are not an end itself but just an option that can be considered when the six-party talks go wrong.”
D.C. elites must be in agreement to take down Kim Jong-il regime. It is only the matter of working out details of how to take it down.
Ping!
I seem to have read some Clinton castoffs braying for direct talks with the North, which translates as a call for a return to Clinton-style appeasement. They sure sounded dovish to me.
Former Defense Secretary William Perry just publicly called for a preemptive strike on the Korean missile on the launch pad. Not very dovish.
Some former Clinton hacks(Maddie, Sandy) and guy like Republican Senator Dick Lugar still do, but I think they are irrelevant.
Kim Dong Ill...your next.....
I'm not sure I understand why NK's dawdling at the talks and refusal to participate is news. This is pretty much the same thing they did when we were negotiating the end of the Korean War in the early-mid 50s.
-He reportedly suggested to the Korean government that five-party talks excluding North Korea be held in case the North does not come back to the six-party talks for a long while,” but Chun said, “Five-party talks are not an end itself but just an option that can be considered when the six-party talks go wrong.”-
Wow - diplomats really don't see the ridiculousness of their existence, do they?
I heard a high-level Chinese diplomatic delegation was sent to Pyongyang last night, so apparently the Chinese have finally had enough. We'll see what kind of results they can get.
Plus, did anyone catch Brit on Fox News Sunday yesterday? He was great, and he still thinks the military option is on the table as well, which really surprised me...
Too bad it isn't required reading. I shudder to speculate how few people today are aware of the brief and basic history you have written in one paragraph.
Sleepwalking Senator Dick Lugar said last week that W should talk to the NKs.
If we actually did it (which I don't think for a minute we will), they will be screaming for W's head on some pretext ("he lied to us about the missle launch"). I'm pretty certain they think it's a cheap way to look tough between now and the next election. They will frown and act ferocious before November and it doesn't matter. W's going to do what he's going to do and there won't be a congressional resolution for a fast preemptive strike. So they are safe. Nothing they do makes any difference.
The way you could tell if they are actually changing their stripes is if the left's minions in congress start supporting increased funding for SDI. Never happen because there would have to be actual actions favoring the US associated with it.
Given the seriousness of NK's actions in launching missiles without official warning (Pretty serious stuff for obvious reasons) , I was at first a little taken back by how little fur fluffing and firm calls for action were coming from the US side of things. sure, we had some, but nothing like I would expect.
My theory is that W is handling this somewhat differently. That is, he is allowing the problem to fester on it's own. It's a sure bet seeing that chia head is the focal point. Ignoring him is what he absolutely cannot stand. W is basically shrugging it off while silently preparing to react at the favorable moment. Chia head WILL keep it up, and he will grow a need for even more outrageous behavior the longer we DO ignore him. when it is over, there will be no one left who wants to be left supporting the nutcake.
By the way, thanks to whoever came up with the "Chia head" reference. I liked it and adopted it
BTTT
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