Clinton Korea policy hs left us a more dangerous world

Appeal Democrat Newspaper & Townhall.com ^ | 10/22/02 | Mona Charen

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

October 18, 2002

Clinton and North Korea

"North Korea Says It Has a Program on Nuclear Arms" -- New York Times, Oct. 17, 2002.

President Bill Clinton will be remembered by history for only one thing, which is a bit of a shame since his record is so thoroughly shabby and dishonorable that it deserves closer study.

Clinton's contribution to our vulnerability to terror has been well documented, and now comes news that another of his foreign policies has come to fruition. The North Koreans have admitted what close observers have suspected all along -- that they have a nuclear weapons program and may have already produced a number of bombs. (Oh, and by the way, worshippers of arms control treaties kindly note: North Korea is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.)

The only mystery is why Pyongyang has now chosen to admit it.

In the early 1990s, North Korea, even more than other communist states, was drowning in the consequences of its system. People were starving. A congressional study estimated that as many as 1 million died of starvation by 1998. But the regime was no less belligerent for that. Pyongyang continued to build up its military and was aggressively pursuing nuclear capability. Though its facilities were supposed to be inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency, North Korea persistently delayed inspections. Meanwhile, its aggressive posture and rhetoric toward South Korea continued, as did its development of long-range missiles.

President Clinton, observing this situation, saw what needed to be done: Pyongyang would have to be appeased. As former defense secretary William Perry put it, the administration thought it "necessary to move forward in a more positive way with North Korea." In exchange for a temporary freeze on its nuclear program and a mere promise to refrain from developing such weapons in the future, the Clinton administration extended nearly $1 billion in foreign aid for food and fuel oil, as well as promising to build two light water reactors for the North Koreans.

Certainly the administration must have attached conditions? Surely it insisted that the regime provide proof that the aid was not being used for military purposes, and it must have insisted on some form of political and economic liberalization? The Clinton administration must have tied this aid package to guarantees that the North Koreans would cease exporting ballistic missiles to nations like Iran and Pakistan? Actually, no. As Perry explained, "The policy team believed that the North Korean regime would strongly resist such reform ..."

The North Koreans, rewarded for their belligerence, naturally continued down the same path. (And the lesson was probably not lost on other dangerous regimes that seeking nuclear weapons can bring goodies from Washington.) In 1998, they tested a new, three-stage ballistic missile. Did the Clinton administration at last learn the lesson that appeasement does not work? Not quite. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and William Perry held a press conference to announce that the United States was continuing to pursue good relations with North Korea: "We must deal with the North Korean government as it is, not as we wish it would be."

Accordingly, the Clinton administration proposed to lift economic sanctions on North Korea if it promised -- but this time really, sincerely promised -- to stop development of long-range missiles. The North Korean government didn't even deign to respond for a full week -- but the Clinton administration relaxed sanctions anyway.

The Clinton administration officials believed their policies toward North Korea were a success. By "engaging" Pyongyang, they believed, they had avoided war. Neville Chamberlain thought the same. Instead, the appeasement merely emboldened the North Koreans. A Republican study group concluded in 1999 that North Korea "is a greater threat to international stability" than it had been five years before, "primarily in Asia and secondarily in the Middle East." Is it conceivable that the Clinton foreign policy team really believed North Korea could be bribed into decency?

Edmund Burke warned, "There is no safety for honest men but by believing all possible evil of evil men." That includes assuming that they will lie, cheat and betray. The liberal attachment to treaties is thus laid bare for the chimera it is. When strength and resolve were required, Bill Clinton supplied weakness and legerdemain. And in this, as in the war on terror, he has bequeathed a more dangerous world to his successor.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Getting the TRUTH out there. (Couldn't find this anywhere on FR when doing a search, but if it was,.. it is worth repeating).

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

bump!!! GREAT article!!

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

I think you'll find this article interesting.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Thought you might want to see this. FRegards, Vets

[Howlin]

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

You might be interested in reading MORE of what the Clintoon admin did to the Worlds security.

BTW, we can't run from the mess. This multiple threat, could all be a result of Clinton. Our enemies have seen our weakness (which was a HUGE mistake, mistakes the Clinton admin made) and are possibly ganging up on us, so to speak. We must meet all fronts of these threats. No matter how many.

Someone on another thread said, this all could lead to WWIII. Well, what are our options? Do you want to live FREE? Or under the rule of tyranny?

We trust this administration, and feel this President is cleaning up a HUGE dangerous mess. God Bless him and his administration.

The quicker Americans get behind our country, the faster this will all be over. But putting our collective heads in the sand, makes this a WAY MORE DANGEROUS WORLD. As this article points out so well.

[MissMillie]

My boss has done extensive research and study on the North Korea Nuclear agreement. It would have been nice to have NK keep it's part of the bargain, but truth be told, we didn't keep ours.

Breaking agreements is something the GWB administration is equally adept at.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Thanks for the pic Howlin. No title.. so excuse my ignorance, but what is it? :o)

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

What agreement has President Bush broke? I give specifics with this article. Can you post anything that shows President Bush broke an agreement? Thanks

[Howlin]

That's Roger Clinton touring North Korea with their "friends."

[Howlin]

For instance?

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

SHEESH!!! How could I miss that? Perhaps he was doing some of the negotiations also? I bet we tax payers paid for his trip too!! No wonder they thought they could lie to us, they were dealing with the lowest of low lifes.

[baxter999]

Much as I would like to blame North Korea on that traitorous, cowardly scum who was elected President twice by the people of the US, there is plenty of blame to go around. The Republicans controlled both the Senate and the House during much of Clinton's term and since all funding comes from the House, the Republicans are as much to blame as Clinton. (Which is of course why it doesn't really matter whether the Republicans gain control of the Senate since there are so many RINO's)

Of more concern is what do we do now? Like Iraq, where President's Reagan and Bush helped build up Saddam, the US has basically given Korea the nuclear bomb.

What should we do? Bomb them preemptively like Israel has done in the past to its neighbors getting close to nuclear weapons? (That's my vote) Or pretend to care by negotiating knowing full well that North Korea has no intention of stopping. Maybe even drop this in the UN's lap and then whine that they're not doing anything. Or just give up and say go ahead and take South Korea, much like we've done with Taiwan?

[lepton]

This agreement was made and put into place prior to the Republicans winning their congressional majorities (Oct 1994). Clinton then declined to inform Congress of the evidence that NK was violating their treaty.

[lepton]

Like Iraq, where President's Reagan and Bush helped build up Saddam,

While oft repeated, it is harldy true. We kept Iran from defeating him, and kept Iraq from defeating Iran...at most.

the US has basically given Korea the nuclear bomb.

Ummm, no, not in any direct manner. That was Pakistan. The closest your statement comes to being true was the cascade effect of Clinton cronies leaking nuclear weapons secrets to the Chinese, which scared India into pushing their program, which scared Pakistan into re-igniting their program, which almost resulted in a nuclear war, which got Pakistan to get missile technology from North Korea in exchange for nuclear tech.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

I don't think it was Presidents Reagan or President Bush who got us into this mess.

The world is complex. In hindsight EVERY administration would have done things differently. But it is the naiveity and ignorance which Clinton/Albright/Perry/ etc have represented us, that has gotten us where we are today.

I feel President Bush handled the Gulf War to the letter of the resolutions he had from the UN. He executed it quite well. The problem was when Clinton took over, and eventually inspectors were not allowed to do their job. Clinton was "afraid".

There should have been swift and exact punishment for NOT obeying the UN resolutions, and UNSCOM when they happened!!

This is where the UN has lost any power, or authority. Where Clinton did some damage,.. but as we can see,.. that damage continued to other area's in the world. MANY other areas.

Large countries have always sold arms, weapons. When we found out that Saddam Hussein was not the "freind" to the US or World that he said he was,.. we tried to do something about it. At the time when President Reagan was dealing with Iraq and Iran, IRAN was a HUGE Threat. I remember those times.

It is a matter of dealing with the lesser of two evils, and the world "IS" a safer place than it was during that period, with regard to Iran. Iran cooled its jets so to speak. But they need to be watched CLOSELY now!!

IRAN, IRAQ, N. KOREA, ARE an axis of evil. That is coming to light with no doubt.

But, thanks to no one at the helm for 8 long years, and mamby pamby people like Madeline Albright, and Sec. of Def Perry,.. we now have HUGE problems in a MULTITUDE of places.

Indonesia became apparent in the early 90's. The Phillipines, Africa (and isn't it interesting that while people are starving in AFrica, Nelson Mandella donated a 6,000 dollar statue to the Clintons!!)

Its a huge mess. This administration is DEALING with it. The best way possible. And they need the support of our nation and the world in order for any of us to survive it. Anyone who thinks it is going to get better,.. is the epitomy of naive.

BTW, I don't think BOMBING/NUKING N. Korea is the answer,.. right now. But it may well come to that. This administration is just now hearing of the damage done by the previous adminstration. Just like the article said.

I have total faith that President Bush, VP Cheney, Sec. of Defense Rumsfield, Sec of State Colin Powell,...and Dr. Rice will handle all this the RIGHT way.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

This agreement was made and put into place prior to the Republicans winning their congressional majorities (Oct 1994). Clinton then declined to inform Congress of the evidence that NK was violating their treaty.

EXACTLY!!! Thanks for pointing out that fact!!

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

The closest your statement comes to being true was the cascade effect of Clinton cronies leaking nuclear weapons secrets to the Chinese, which scared India into pushing their program, which scared Pakistan into re-igniting their program, which almost resulted in a nuclear war, which got Pakistan to get missile technology from North Korea in exchange for nuclear tech.

True again!!! The "selling" of a micro chip that enabled China to point 18 long range missles towards Americans is not fantasy,.. but fact. It was done without the approval of Congress as it was supposed to be either. Somehow Clinton got around that. But it was in the news, and it is a published/known fact that he did so, and in a way that subverted the way it was supposed to happen, if things like that happened at all. He did not follow the proper channels. Very suspect then, and even more so in light of all we now know.

[MeekOneGOP]

Spank me Hillary – Harder!

[MeekOneGOP]

Clinton Crying - Video @ Ron Brown Funeral
Laffing & So Forth Til He Sees Camera.....