I feel SO much better.
Posted on 04/04/2013 8:36:33 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
This isn't merely a failure of nerve, it's a failure of intelligence and a failure to keep operational secrets. The White House had a "playbook," agreed to by O, Hagel, and John Kerry, on how to rattle its saber at North Korea during the next crisis without rattling it so much that NK would get spooked and do something rash. E.g., first comes some B-52 flights over South Korea, then the B-2s make a cameo, then the F-22s, and so forth. Problem one: Kim's gone further in his bellicosity than U.S. analysts expected and now they’re unsure if they know where his personal red line is. Problem two: The deployment of two destroyers last weekend to the Pacific wasn’t part of the “playbook” and wasn’t supposed to be publicized. That was a bona fide strategic move, not a show of muscle-flexing designed for North Korean and international consumption. But then the news leaked and the Navy confirmed it, which turned the deployment into an inadvertent, potentially war-sparking audible.
One screw-up on top of another, so now it’s time to cool things off before someone gets nuked.
Officials said publicizing the destroyers risked ratcheting up tensions with the North more than the White House had intended. Likewise, they said, White House officials became upset because the disclosure wasn’t in keeping with the orchestrated rollout it had sought to control.
The White House has put the next steps in the playbook on hold while it assesses the North’s posture, officials say, though the administration hasn’t ruled out future shows of force. On Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said the U.S. wanted to lower the “temperature” on the peninsula…
[W]ithin the administration, some officials voiced concern about unintended consequences of provoking North Korea [by following an escalation "playbook"]. Some of these officials questioned the faith the White House and Pentagon placed in the intelligence agencies, which have a mixed record of predicting North Korean behavior.
However, few objections were raised at the highest levels during the meetings, according to participants—unlike in other Obama administration deliberations about using military force abroad, including Libya, Northwest Africa and Syria, that have been marked by protracted debates. President Barack Obama gave the green light to proceed with the playbook, these people said.
The unspoken risk: What’s the effect on Kim’s already unpredictable behavior now that he knows the U.S. is willing to tear up its “playbook” for fear of pushing him too far? Does that encourage him to be bolder? Or is this Journal story the White House’s way of making it easier for him to climb down? The WSJ’s sources are “U.S. officials” — important ones too, if they’re privy to what went on during meetings “at the highest levels.” Could be that Obama wanted this leaked as an olive branch to NK: The U.S. will eat shinola publicly for having been a little too aggressive towards Kim, whereupon Kim can declare moral victory and step back from the brink with South Korea. It’s a way to let him save face while retreating. “Look how the Americans tremble!” We’ll see if North Korea’s propaganda mill has any fun with it today. They sure have been having fun lately.
Exit question: How long before China instigates a coup to put someone in the North Korean military who’s more predictable in charge?
I feel SO much better.
We should publicly announce an attack on South Korea or our allies will be met with a nuclear response on all nuclear military installations. Multiple Multiple Multiple bunker busters should be dropped his suspected residences. END OF Problem.
To respond to an all out attack from North Korea using conventional weapons instead of nukes would cause great loss of life in the South. Many of those lives would be American.
Next thing you know, the Somali’s will take on the fierce obummer administration.
Take your pick:
(1) Back up the Norks?
(2) Make sure the Norks don't think that in case of disaster they can withdraw into the safety of China?
(3) To show off their new tank designs ?
Will John Fn Kerry pound the desk and shout "What. Difference. Does. It. Make?"
another cluster F### of foreign policy yet again.
I say this, if I was president and some fool dictator like this said his government has authorized merciless nuclear attacks on my country, then his country would cease to exist.
Why not let them land ground forces in the US and then they will have to turn in all their “icky” black assault rifles and high cap magazines and we will shame them all the way back to Nork? (insert evil diabolical laugh track...)
the white house is still closed to the public, it seems the free loaders from Chicago think our house which we pay for is their house now.
Course the media is going to be on this and their spending in droves, oh wait what media, hell even FOX can’t mention this anymore.
This is outrageous and nothing but a class of kids from IO actually saying and doing something
The residents of Stockton CA need to do this. Last night Leno recommended NK nuke Stockton.
the way this administration has been doing all of it’s foreign policy is disturbing.
It’s been one after the other balls up but of course the free loading thugs do have the lapdog corrupt white house media and they have more pressing issues , oh like parties, concerts, dining at our house which we pay for but we’re not allowed in and yet again where the hell is THE FRIGGING GOP.
Oh yea they’re too busy telling millions of the base to accept the homosexual marriage and their twisted perverted agenda
Look for this or any future ‘crisis’ with the No. Koreans as an excuse to take away (what’s left)of the rights of the law-abiding American citizens.
And maybe use the Constitution to light 0’s cigar.
Our joint exercise Foal Eagle ends about 30 April, so look for more and more extreme antics by NK until then.
No ammunition has been released to NK ground units.
Somethings cooking on the China-NK border, a Chinese fighter penetrated NK airspace and overflew most of the border on 21 March. However, most of the Chinese ground units that moved to the border, have pulled back to their garrisons.
China delivered no crude to NK in February or March, for the first time in 39 months, looks like a pressure play.
If NK starts up their mothballed reactors, it would take many years to produce weapons plutonium, no threat there. NK only has enough plutonium for about 6 weapons and their blast yields todate have been very weak.
One thing of note, all the NK war posturing to date has been made by civil, government officials, not the NK military officials.
When NK has done that in the past, it has allowed NK deniability and an easy way to walk backwards as they can claim that the government was just preparing the people for martial law.
Any truth to the ‘rumor’ that Kim’s favorite movie is “The Mouse that Roared?”
Again, Hollywood scooped the world when a pesky wart on the back of a fruit fly is calling the shots.
This clown BO makes J Carter look more like a genius (in comparison) when it comes to Foreign Policy and Common Sense.
Guess BO ‘giving back’ 5% is the equivalent of JC turning down the thermostat and wearing a Cardigan Sweater.
Knew he was a chicken-butt. Heck, who didn’t know he was a chicken-butt?
This reminds me of watching one of those WWI documentaries where all the European power stumbled, bumbled and fumbled their way in a global bloody mess. I just hope the Chinese pick their leaders more wisely than we do.
Disclaimer: I am not Glen Beck announcing the Arch Duke Ferdinand moment for the fiftieth time.
The White House had a “playbook,”
Wrong it has a coloring book.
Well OStumble, Hagel and Kerry in charge of foreign policy. What could go wrong?
Obama just dropped his pant for Little Kim and showed how easily he can be intimidated. What a total wimp. The North Koreans weren’t going to fire a single bullet, but President Wieney Boy started quaking in his boots and backed down from showing the North Korean criminal regime they cannot shake their fists and cause the world to fear. I knew the little boy in the White House would blow this one too. It’s year 5 of Amateur Hour at the White House.
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