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North Korea continuing nuclear programme - UN report
North Korea has not stopped its nuclear and missile programmes, violating UN sanctions, a report commissioned by the UN Security Council says. It also says Pyongyang has resorted to a "massive increase" of illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil products and has been trying to sell weapons abroad.
The confidential report by a panel of independent experts was submitted to the UN Security Council on Friday. North Korea has so far not commented on the document's findings.
Last week, US officials said Pyongyang appeared to be building new ballistic missiles despite recent warming ties with US President Donald Trump's administration and pledges to denuclearise. Unnamed US officials told the Washington Post that spy satellites had spotted continuing activity at a site that has produced ballistic missiles.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 05 2018, @03:11PM (17 children)
It doesn't matter since there's no such thing as a disarmament treaty between nations without all the neighbors cosigning and a huge coalition on each side ready to call up arms (and take a few cities-worth of hits) if things break down.
Trump just doesn't get international negotiations. when talking about hiring an MBA for a president, the US would have been better off with a grocery store owner. At least they're used having to deal with suppliers that know you can't afford suing so they pay in small installment and only pay upon delivery. Like, he just doesn't understand what it means to deal with people when he doesn't have the full force of the police, courts and military to back his scams as "legally binding contracts". He keeps requesting ridiculous terms. The other party nods and happily signs without even bothering to negotiate. And he comes out all happy and boasting how he got a great deal... Then, a few months later, he has containers full of rotting produce and bounced checks all over and the other guy on the phone is saying "Sure pal. The money is on the way. Just sit tight for a couple more days" while snickering to their pals while getting their produce from elsewhere.
Worst hire ever.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 05 2018, @06:27PM (14 children)
Aaaaaaaand that sums it up perfectly. His aversion to details and history means he's an impediment to the process.
(Score: 2, Redundant) by Arik on Sunday August 05 2018, @10:34PM (13 children)
Derangement syndrome strikes again.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 05 2018, @11:27PM (6 children)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 06 2018, @02:29AM
Let's ask The Progressive Labor Party [plp.org]. They might know what Progress means.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Monday August 06 2018, @03:20AM (4 children)
For the first time the parties are meeting, they're talking about peace. That, by itself, may not be earth-shaking, but it's certainly progress - and more of it than has been seen on that front since, well, since that front existed. It was frozen in '53, but even that is really recent when you consider the division between the sides is sometimes traced all the way back to 1910.
However you want to count it, it's well over a half century with no progress at all, and now there's a little. Not a great breakthrough, no, but progress nonetheless. It should be encouraged, not shit on.
But I get the feeling you'd rather see a few million Koreans die than admit Trump got something right any day, is that right?
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 06 2018, @01:49PM (2 children)
I think he's saying that dropping our defenses in the region on the promise of denuclearization that isn't happening is a poor deal indeed.
The troops we have stationed in SK are there to show NK that if they attack there will be US troops coming from over the sea. Trump has said he wants to recall them*. The withdrawal of those troops could well cost many SK lives. I am not convinced that this president understands that, or, if he does, if he cares.
*https://www.defensenews.com/news/pentagon-congress/2018/06/12/trumps-proposed-troop-moves-in-south-korea-raise-concerns-for-lawmakers/
(Score: 2) by Arik on Monday August 06 2018, @04:58PM (1 child)
What "defenses" do you imagine we've dropped?
The troops stationed in South Korea are replacements for replacements for replacements ad nauseum for those left there as human shields in '53. They deserve better, and so do the American taxpayers. There is *some* humanitarian logic to their placement - it has served as something of a deterrent, but that role was probably overstated to begin with and it's come to be little more than a perverse talking point for those who profit from war. North Korea has no capability to threaten the mainland USA, and despite some more bombastic claims may not even be capable of doing that. What they have put a huge amount of effort into is a deterrent capability of their own - the ability to hit closer targets, targets that they see as directly threatening to them. South Korea, where a lot of those US troops (and their South Korean counterparts) are in range to be annihilated in the initial salvo; Japan, and of course Guam. They're very keen to be able to knock out Guam because Guam is where the nuclear bombers we threaten them with are based.
The only 'defenses' that would be relevant to drop (and we haven't dropped any yet so far as I know) would be defenses intended to improve survival rates of those deployed around the DMZ, which obviously would be an unnecessary expense once the troops themselves are withdrawn. Again, none of that has happened yet, it's what might happen down the road, possible long term outcomes of the process and would happen after South Korea's security concerns are satisfied.
So again, what are these 'defenses' you think we've dropped?
You should read your own link.
/cited=//www.defensenews.com/news/pentagon-congress/2018/06/12/trumps-proposed-troop-moves-in-south-korea-raise-concerns-for-lawmakers/
He also noted that the United States has thousands of service members stationed in South Korea that “I would like to be able to bring them back home” but said those troops withdrawals aren’t part of negotiations right now.
/cited/
That's what Trump said, he'd eventually like to bring them home (good for him!) but that isn't part of the current talks.
Then you have some interesting responses.
/cited=//www.defensenews.com/news/pentagon-congress/2018/06/12/trumps-proposed-troop-moves-in-south-korea-raise-concerns-for-lawmakers/
“No moving troops,” said Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “As far as moving troops off the Korean Peninsula, we need to stay there. We don’t just move our troops, no.”
Fellow committee member Lindsey Graham echoed that sentiment in an appearance on “CBS This Morning.”
“I don’t mind putting these exercises on hold. Over the arc of time, the exercises won’t matter,” he said. “But the one thing I would object to violently is withdrawing our forces from South Korea.
“China is trying to play president Trump through North Korea. China’s goal for decades is to drive us out of Asia. If we withdraw our forces, and that’s part of a deal, I can’t support the deal.”
/cited/
Now, there are two possible ways to read this. Either Senators Ernst and Graham don't understand English, even English as simple as Trump speaks, or they're 'violently opposed' to withdrawal of US troops from the Korean peninsula under *any* circumstances whatsoever. That last line strongly implies it's the latter.
This is an unabashedly warmongering pose, one that is opposed to peace on principle but logically demands eternal war, one that treats Korea and Koreans as pawns in a great game against China, with no regard whatsoever for their humanity or sovereignty. It's a despicable posture, and it deserves a stronger denunciation than my own command of the English language is capable of. If Trump did absolutely nothing sensible aside from this in his entire term it would still be a good thing - and if the warmongers here in the Senate and elsewhere manage to hamstring him on foreign policy, the South Koreans may well take the decisions out of our hands and give us the boot anyway.
/cited=//www.defensenews.com/news/pentagon-congress/2018/06/12/trumps-proposed-troop-moves-in-south-korea-raise-concerns-for-lawmakers/
“I don’t want any troop drawdown unless there is a repeatedly verifiably and irreversible denuclearization. Period,” Wittman said, adding: “I understand backing off the exercises, but I don’t think if you’re going to be effective in this — in keeping North Korea’s feet to the fire — that you can in any way shape or form pull back any of our presence in the region.”
/cited/
Wittman is more sensible. He's making 'tough' noises for his constituents that are riled on the issue, without using absolutes that would paint us into a corner. I'm no fan of his but at least he doesn't come off as a complete ass here.
Anyway your article goes on and on but it's more of the same. Apparently the idea that the Korean war will eventually end and the US won't need to keep troops there anymore is rather controversial in the imperial capital, I don't suppose that really surprises anyone, but even Congress can't stop the tides.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 06 2018, @09:23PM
I think the idea is that the war has simmered for 50 years, and it is unlikely to end in any verifiable way in the next 10.
Then again, pulling out our troops would make SK a tempting target with Kim knowing that Trump, commander in chief, is loath to help out allies. Without our troops there to make the US respond to an attack, the US will sit back and let SK fall to NK.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 06 2018, @03:14PM
Clue: there is a big, big difference between progress and capitulation.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 06 2018, @01:35AM (4 children)
What progress has he actually made? He elevated Kim by having a summit, he's said nice things about Kim, he said Kim sent him a nice letter, and NK is still developing nuclear weapons. If that is what's you consider to be progress, then the half century of Presidents were setting the bar way too high.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Monday August 06 2018, @03:35AM (3 children)
Yet the war party keeps pushing this line that makes no sense to begin with, that's never worked, and you keep eating it right up. Shame on you.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 06 2018, @09:42AM (2 children)
Not "shrink and die", simply remain illegitimate. You seem to be trying really hard to legitimize the President's actions here, yet cannot backup your claim of "progress" with any actual progress.
Basically, Trump blew his load like a virgin at a brothel, and all he got was a nice card that says "Please come again."
(Score: 0, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 06 2018, @10:18AM
Illegitimate to whom? The millions of people who are his subjects? The generals who do his bidding? The tens of millions of citizens of nations in the potential firing line?
If you want bloody war then you belittle and dehumanise the enemy, so that your subjects see it as good and right that they should all die. But if you want peace you must treat them with respect and dignity, so that their subjects see it as good and right that the nations engage in a diplomatic solution.
As brash, careless and inconsistent as Trump has been in his statements in public fora, he has been consistent in his desire for direct dialogue with other national leaders.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Monday August 06 2018, @12:45PM
Attending the conference in no way legitimized anyone - they are all just as legitimate, or not, as they were beforehand.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 06 2018, @03:16AM
> he's managed to blunder his way to making more progress on the issue
*points to the title of TFS*
You're not exactly what we would call a "reader", eh? Figures you'd like The Orange Illiteratti.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 05 2018, @11:52PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 06 2018, @12:12AM
Maybe a community organizer with a shady past could have done better? Oh...