U.S. Drops Threat of Force on N. Korea (APPEASEMENT, IRAN IS LAUGHING)

FOX ^ | 13 October 2006 | AP

[petertare]

UNITED NATIONS — The United States dropped the possibility of using force against North Korea over the regime's purported nuclear test, a concession to Russia and China in the hope of seeing a U.N. Security Council resolution on the standoff passed by Friday.

[varina davis]

One thing you can take to the bank -- China isn't warring over anything until after the 2008 Olympics. They are, as we speak, feverishly negotiating behind the scenes with the U.S.

[mass55th]

"This game is getting a bit old now especially since we can't ever win."

Isn't that the goal of the U.N., that the U.S. is never victorious or powerful ever again?

[Wuli]

U.S. Foreign policy changed immediately after the 2004 election.

Condi was not brought in due to her loyalty to Bush. She was brought in to establish the JFingKerry foreign policy - talk and retreat, talk and retreat, talk and retreat.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

"I say reunification with South Korea is the only good solution if it is possible."

Here here. It would be as significant as the berlin wall coming down.
Bush: "Kimmie, tear down this wall."

[defenderSD]

China doesn't own anywhere near half of our treasury debt. IIRC, they own about 5% of our total treasury debt. My take on this incident is that we know North Korea's nuclear test failed and we're not that concerned about North Korea. After all, Clinton gave them the reactors and so we know exactly what kind of technology is required to convert the plutonium in those reactors to weapons-grade material. We know whether NK has that kind of capability, and of course there are all kinds of seismic sensors in South Korea used to analyze the underground blast. The Russians have good reasons for saying the test succeeded, even though they too know that it failed.

[quesney]

"You are right in part, but the bottom line is that at this moment, we absolutely are not capable of a large-scale land war in Asia. NK will have to be dealt with in other ways, whether it's behind the scenes pressure on the ChiComs, arming Japan, or whatever. There are military realities here"

You know, I just don't get how it is that we spend have a trillion dollars a year and find ourselves limited in obvious scenarios like these. What the heck are we spending all of this money on if not for our own defense and obvious scenarios like war with China/NK?

[phillyfanatic]

To be so so so PC at the thuggish UN and then use lingo which looks like the Dem Party, is just inane and stupid. For W to even use the UN nowadays is silly. But, they all play the game. I just hope that in the inner sanctum, W and his advisors are planning to react violently against both Iran and N.Korea when the time comes.

[LS]

True, but not realistic. Certainly G. Washington, who had many gripes with the Indians, didn't provoke them, but instead sent the hated DIPLOMATS to keep them quiet while he dealt with the Brits.

And in Korea, we learned that unless we wanted to touch off a nuke war, we had to fight within certain limitations.

Right now, there are several ways short of military strikes to "convince" the pot-bellied dog-eater to see the light.

[LS]

Er, that's easy: we're spending that money so that we ONLY have 2,500 casualties while fighting a global enemy on multiple fronts and, at the same time, maintaining a sufficient threat that ALL the NKs do is launch a few stupid missiles into the sea. I'd say that's a bargain.

Most of the stuff we built in the Cold War never fired a shot . . . and that was a bargain too. The best weapon made is the one that doesn't need to be used.

[Zack Nguyen]

I don't know if the use of force in response to a nuclear test was a valid policy anyway. I don't think we're "giving up" anything important here.

[1035rep]

Dream on; we have a gutless country that will not protect itself!

What country do you live in?

[panaxanax]

"China doesn't own anywhere near half of our treasury debt. IIRC, they own about 5% of our total treasury debt."

If true, even %5 is too much. We shouldn't owe anyone a dime!

[USMMA_83]

It seems that it's all a smoke-n-mirror game and we are the putz or gimps in this game.

[sport]

You got it. Add $ 100.00 a barrel oil to what you just mentioned. The United States and Israel have just been neutered by the communists, Democrats, and muslims.

[Wiseghy]

SK's capital is thirty miles from the border and well within range of 10k arty pieces dug into very hard to knock out mountain enclaves. Militarily, it has got to be one of the most disadventageous situations on the planet.

Nonetheless, S Korea feels that they have the situation well in hand with Uncle Kim.

Hope Asia is paying attention of the influence and interference from China is this situation. They are hardly promoting peace and stability. Hope we get tighter with Japan and the other Tigers as a result.