Long time observers and discussants to the Free Republic North Korea threads, over the last number of years, have been in generally strong agreement that GEORGE W. BUSH and his administration also bears a lot of responsibility over this most serious and deadly North Korea provocation today, with their endless appeasement of North Korea over the last three years and the fact the North Koreans figured out in 2005 that "W" did not have the balls nor attention for it.
Somebody omitting serious material facts, stated "They did this under Obama but would not dare do this under Bush". This person is ill informed. He or she has no recollection of 6 July 2006 when the North launched one, perhaps two Taepondong missiles, and then followed with a volley of scud and nodong missiles into the Sea of Japan. They PRECISELY did this because they knew that Bush would do nothing and that they had completely hoodwinked the Americans at the negotiating table with Six Party talks, and they wanted to test Bush's weakness further. He did not do jack s, just as they surmised.
That is why initially, while former President Bush had an excellent policy (most typified by "Axis of Evil" and freezing North Korean assets as well as seriously threatening Kim Jong il with J-DAMs enough to force Chia Pet underground into a bunker for nearly 39 days), he gradually phased this wise approach out, good people (hawks) left his second administration one after another until few if any were left, and by the end of 2005 he had pretty much morphed into nothing different than what we can expect from Obama...total State Department Sellout. This was from the RIDICULOUS SIX PARTY TALKS North Korean stalling for time ploy that both Condi Rice and Christopher Hill pushed, and "W" foolishly and fully signed on to. I could not believe that some people were on here earlier giving "W" Bush and his failed legacy somehow a pass on this. I have never seen them on these threads about North Korea at all, I suspect with all do respect, they havent the slightest idea what they are talking about. Do people think that North Korea developed these capabilities overnight, suddenly, in two months time, and positioned them just to test Obama (which it is a test by the way) and held off provocative action while Bush was in office? They have been building up steadily and steadily, lying all the way, hoodwinking us reprehensibly, over the last number of years, and it wasnt a DEMOCRAT in the White House. Verify with Ambassador John Bolton, Gertz of Washington Times, Heritage Foundation, anybody worth their conservative salt on this one. Sorry Bushbots. Ain't looking too good for your man (I will bet he is silent today) and of course it won't be any better under this idiot of a messianic leader, Obama.
By the way, here in Tokyo, just 25 minutes ago, we finished listening to Radio Pyongyang coming in very clear, with the special bulletin announcement of their launch of Kwangmyongsung-2 "satellite". It was a very emotion announcement lasting about three minutes. They closed by mentioning the date (in Chuche Year) that the statement was made by the Korean Workers Party. Then the male announcer closed and they launched into typical DPRK martial music. Very odd and eery; historic to listen to.