| Submit your comments on this article | ||
| China-Japan-Koreas | ||
| Obama's Silence on N. Korea Baffles Observers | ||
| 2012-01-26 | ||
U.S. President Barack Obama surprised some observers by making no mention of North Korea in his State of the Union address on Tuesday. The Stalinist state has featured in one way or another in these addresses since Bill Clinton mentioned the North in January 1995 after Washington and Pyongyang signed the Geneva accords.
Obama too mentioned the North in the last two years. In 2011 he said, "We... insist that North Korea keeps its commitment to abandon nuclear weapons." And a year earlier, he said, "Now, these diplomatic efforts have also strengthened our hand in dealing with those nations that insist on violating international agreements in pursuit of nuclear weapons. That's why North Korea now faces increased isolation, and stronger sanctions -- sanctions that are being vigorously enforced." But this year he focused mainly on economic issues ahead of the presidential election in November. He did, however, talk tough about Iran. "Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal."
George W. Bush had the strongest words for Pyongyang in his State of the Union addresses. In 2002, Bush defined the North as part of an "axis of evil." In 2003, he called it an "oppressive regime" as well as an "outlaw regime." In 2004, he called it "the world's most dangerous regime." Only in his last address in 2008 did Bush not mention the North because an agreement reached in the six-party nuclear disarmament talks appeared to be making some progress. | ||
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #15 Obama will defend the revolution. Heck, even Lenin knew that. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2012-01-26 18:36 |
| #14 And remind people about how they talked their way out of war after the DD was sunk and village bombed? Trying to make President Action Star here. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2012-01-26 17:56 |
| #13 Iran could attempt to shut the Straits of Hormuz which would be significant to America. NK will most likely conduct some equally numbskull operation that will require Americans to read about it in the paper. Fox News will go to DEFCON One for 48 hours. It may prick the American conscience depending on what Gingrich and Romney are saying about each other and whether the incursion occurs during Super Bowl coverage, March Madness or American Idol. Most likely NK will be treated like the really disgusting dog terd in our neighbor's yard - as an item of curiousity only if it is abnormally large or of abnormal color. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2012-01-26 17:41 |
| #12 But this year he focused mainly on economic issues ahead of the presidential election in November. He did, however, talk tough about Iran. That because they polled well. North Korea isn't an election issue. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2012-01-26 17:24 |
| #11 Anyway, my point was that I am amused at myself by being pleased with Bammer's occasional stopped-clock-style successes in foreign affairs, so to speak. To call him (and, by extension, the military) 100% wrong in every instance seems intellectually dishonest and ill-serves the nation and those who fight and die for it. I did just make a New Year's resolution though: since I am a California Republican and my vote doesn't amount to Jack in the general election, I resolve to vote for Bammer in November, just to piss off the perpetually agrieved in Comments. |
| Posted by: Gabby Cussworth, Man of a Thousand Nyms 2012-01-26 17:15 |
| #10 Let me tell ya, the Pakistanis are so impressed by Seal Team 6 they killed roughly 30 of them in the following months, in targeted payback for the raid. * SEAL Team 6 members among 38 killed in Afghanistan. Not to mention their other instances of 'payback:' Pakistan Arrests C.I.A. Informants in Bin Laden Raid. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2012-01-26 15:40 |
| #9 The drones are useless without the compliance of the host country, and Seal Team 6 is useless without a nearby base to operate from. And guess what administration is cutting another eight combat brigades from the Army? |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2012-01-26 15:33 |
| #8 The US military (incl Seal Team Six and various drones from Sky Net) might take exception to the wet noodle reference. Me? I'm proud of them. |
| Posted by: Gabby Cussworth, Man of a Thousand Nyms 2012-01-26 15:31 |
| #7 Except the stick Bumbles is carrying is more like a wet noodle... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2012-01-26 15:07 |
| #6 Actually, ignoring NK as much as possible is the best policy. As Joe points out (and to mix metaphors), China keeps playing playing chess with an incomplete deck. China's most powerful piece (the Crazed Bishop Kim Et Al) has become tiresome albiet tragically amusing (soon to be NK's offical motto --- tata?)(that, or e pluribus sputum, I forget). Anyway, Bammer's policy of benign neglect (and carrying a big stick in the dead of night) has come to amuse one (nod to Sheldon) over the years. |
| Posted by: Gabby Cussworth, Man of a Thousand Nyms 2012-01-26 15:00 |
| #5 No one has instructed him as to what to say. Yet. |
| Posted by: Whiskey Mike 2012-01-26 14:36 |
| #4 Baffles? He doesn't want to upset the "New" Regime. (Needs a sactuary) |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2012-01-26 14:09 |
| #3 baffles? really? Obama's a communist. Now look at it in that context. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2012-01-26 06:11 |
| #2 OOOOPSIES, forgot TOPIX, DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > PHILIPPINES MAY ALLOW GREATER US PRESENCE [rotational? IN LATEST REACTION TO CHINA. As per WMF, CHINA has said it will NOT ALLOW THE US TO DOMINATE THE PHILIPPINES OR SOUTH CHINA SEAS REGION [Read, TAIWAN OR DEATH]. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2012-01-26 01:17 |
| #1 Where oh where to begin ... To wit, * TOPIX > NORTH KOREA: KIM JONG-UN RESPONSIBLE FOR PAST NUCLEAR TESTING, as under late Big Daddy Kim Jong-Il. Perhaps its just me, but I'm interpreting this life description of KJU by the DPRK as SSSSSHHHHHHH ... CCCCCCC agz China - among other, IIUC the DPRK is trying hard not to say it will directly or indirectly continue wid dev of its Nucprogs, ala IRAN??? * SAME > A "KOREAN SPRING"? * SAME > POINT OF NO RETURN, for US-Allies [ + also Russia + China] as per Nuclearizing + increasingly MilPol-assertive North Korea + Iran. Wehell ya know, it is "2012" after all. * FREEREPUBLIC > [Asahi News] CHINESE TROOPS CAN REACH PYEONGYANG IN TWO HOURS. I'm a'guessin these are exclusive of the 10-20,000 Chinese Security troops already repor there protecting the Kim family + Regime, espec from their fellow North Koreans. * DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > NORTH KOREA SEEKS REVISION OF 1961 DEFENSE TREATY WID CHINA. The NOKORS wanna change or revise a treaty-specified security clause mandating "automatic" PLA mil intervention in case of threat, to one where PLA mil intervention would first have to be formally "requested" by Pyongyang. DE-LINKAGE. versus * ION CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > CHINA WILL EXPAND AIR SURVEILLANCE IN SEAS DISPUTED WID JAPAN | JAPAN'S AIRSPACE GETS MORE ATTENTION FROM CHINA. * DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > CHINESE HELICOPTER CARRIER COMING SOON. The US has its "Gator Navy", so now cometh in time the mighty Chinese "Tiger/Panda Corps" Amphibs??? * SAME > INDIA CAN BUILD NUCLEAR-POWERED AIRCRAFT CARRIERS [ + other Nuke-powered Warships]. Indian Atomic Energy Commission Chair ANIL KAKADODHAR. * SAME > SOUTH KOREAN STUDENTS [Middle, High School] RANK THEIR NATION'S GREATEST ENEMIES - JAPAN, NORTH KOREA, AMERICA [in that order], followed by China, then Russia. * WORLD MIL FORUM > JAPAN WORRIED THAT SOUTH KOREA MAY BE ASSIMILATED INTO CHINA AFTER 20 YEARS, CHINESE LANGUAGE HAS REPLACED JAPANESE AS SOUTH KOREA'S "SECOND LANGUAGE". * SAME > HERITAGE FOUNDATION STUDY: CHINA'S GROWING SPACE PROGRAM CAN BE HINDERED BY CONTINUING US AIR, NAVAL DOMINANCE IN ASIA-PACIFIC, DENIAL BY US OF STRATEGIC ISLANDS FOR CHINA'S SPACE VENTURES. [HUGO "THE US HAS LAND-DESTROYING EARTHQUAKE BOMBS/WEAPONS" CHAVEZ; WWIII: DESTRUCTION OF THE BATTLESHIP "OKLAHOMA": CELINE DION'S THEME FROM "TITANIC" here]. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2012-01-26 00:55 |