Carter Security Chief: Clinton, Not Bush, To Blame for Korean Nukes

Newsmax.com ^ | October 20, 2002 | Carl Limbacher

[Paul Atreides]

Carter administration National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski said Sunday that the Clinton administration deserved the lion's share of the blame for the nuclear crisis in North Korea because it relied on a policy of "accommodation" that led Pyongyang to think it could "have its cake and eat it, too."

Asked by CNN "Late Edition" host Wolf Blitzer if President Bush's hard line toward North Korea had caused the crisis by pushing Pyongyang "into a corner," Brzezinski instead fingered Bush's predecessor.

"I think the issue is big enough for the blame to be shared rather widely," he told Blitzer. "It seems to me that perhaps earlier in the '90s, the Democratic administration, President Clinton's administration, was somewhat too eager to accommodate, reflecting, in part, political changes in South Korea which pointed in the direction of accommodation - the so-called sunshine policy."

Brzezinski continued:

"And that may have given the North Koreans the impression that they can have their cake and eat it too. Namely, get some benefits of accommodation while pursuing this surreptitious nuclear program, which is a serious program."

While the Carter security chief noted that "lately the Bush administration has swung to the other extreme" on North Korea, he seemed to endorse the president's policy of preemptive action.

"We ought to be following a policy that the president articulated on Sept. 12 at the U.N. when speaking of Iraq," Brzezinski told CNN. "Namely, that we are willing to use force if it's a last resort and if the threat is imminent, which is neither the case in North Korea yet or Iraq. But it could be."

[Paul Atreides]

Bubba's true legacy needs to be shouted from the rooftops.

[ladyinred]

Now this is news!
I am of course shocked that a member of the Carter administration would be so candid!

[Paul Atreides]

However, no mention of Jimmah's role in things. Convenient.

Still, it is good to hear someone lay the blame where it should be laid.

[Paul Atreides]

Brzezinski instead fingered Bush's predecessor.

I wish that Newsmax would stop using that word "fingered" when talking about the Clintons. It makes my stomach get queasy.

[Spirited]

Whoa, you mean someone was willing to tell the truth? I wonder what's in it for him.

[Paul Atreides]

I just wonder how Wolf Blitzer reacted.

[Common Tator]

Asked by CNN "Late Edition" host Wolf Blitzer if President Bush's hard line toward North Korea had caused the crisis by pushing Pyongyang "into a corner"

Wolfe Blitzer like other liberals thinks the way to deter a rapist is to give him free condoms.

[ErnBatavia]

[flying Elvis]

Brzezinski was the lone anticommunist in Carter's administration. Libs don't care for him very much.

[Fintan]

Can't wait to hear Brokaw, Rather, Jennings, Li'l Katie and Matty-Poo expound on this.

Or maybe this is the Irish whiskey talking again...

[Paul Atreides]

I can just hear Katie Couric: "But, don't you think that Bill Clinton's problem is that he is just filled with so much goodness and nobility and willingness to help others that he let those qualities blind him?".

Then, she would sit there and try to talk him into expressing a loathing for President Bush.

[roballen]

More like, "I wonder what's in store next for him."

[Right_in_Virginia]

"More like, "I wonder what's in store next for him (Brezinski)."

WHOA...my first thought, too.

[Reagan Man]

This is one of those occasions when Zbigniew Brzezinski is right on the money. For eight long years, der shlickmeister pushed policy after policy, that had tremendous detrimental effect on the basic infrastucture of this great nation. From military capability, to national security to intelligence efforts, the Clinton administration managed to undermine so many aspects of American constitutional law and our founding traditions and institutions. This situation involving N.Korea is just more one failure, in a long list of failures by Klintoon and Kompany.

[Paul Atreides]

He'd better not travel through Arkansas.

[Paul Atreides]

I fear that the only thing that will make people realize the true disgrace that Clinton was, as a President, is something that will be truly horrendous and tragic. God forbid that ever happens, but even in such a scenario I don't hold out much hope that people will wise up.

[Man of the Right]

It's amazing that Zbig served in that administration and that he overcame Vance, whom I was not surprised to see, died from Alzheimer's.

[backhoe]

Cross-linking:

-The Atomic Genie- what we know about North Korea's Nuclear program--

[tje]

I can just hear Katie Couric: "But, don't you think that Bill Clinton's problem is that he is just filled with so much goodness and nobility and willingness to help others that he let those qualities blind him?".

Add in a comment about how he was distracted by a 'vast right wing conspiracy' and you've nailed it.

[Paul Atreides]

Doh! How could I have forgotten the most important part?