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North Korean Leader Says He Will Suspend Arms Tests, Shut Nuclear Test Site (cnn.com)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced early Saturday morning that the regime no longer needs nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile tests. Kim said Saturday that "under the proven condition of complete nuclear weapons, we no longer need any nuclear tests, mid-range and intercontinental ballistic rocket tests, and that the nuclear test site in northern area has also completed its mission," state-run KCNA reported Saturday. CNN reports: A North Korea source told CNN that Kim has finally decided to open up a new chapter for his nation.
Kim has committed himself to the path of denuclearization and will now focus solely on economic growth and improving the national economy, the source said. The North Korean leader has realized the best path forward is to normalize relations with other countries, the source added. He is finally being recognized by the international community, and this is a historic, timely opportunity, the source said. The decision to halt nuclear and missile testing comes just one week before the leaders of South and North Korea are due to meet at the demilitarized zone between the two countries. U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the news, tweeting: "North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit."
Not the test facility, just one of the main tunnels under the mountain.
Reports since then reported work at other nearby sites, presumably working on new tunnels.
The Chinese have warned them in the past that they were over-using the tunnels and risking a collapse, they just didn't want to do the work of prepping a new tunnel until it actually happened. Workers died, but try to understand; workers at this site are constantly dying, and they bring new ones in. They don't have radiation safety programs. Their system is simpler; important enough people don't have to do that job.
Trump was the only world leader who could speak Kim's language, and that was what finally convinced them to drop a path they had been on through MANY other U.S. presidents.
This alone makes Trump the greatest president in modern times, greatly eclipsing anything Obama ever did (or even imagined he did).
Now after we clean up Obama's gift of nuclear weapons to Iran, the world may actually be safer for once...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I worry that this is all a deliberate ploy.
The entire North Korean strategy for ages has been based on the understanding that they could never defeat one of the great powers in a head to head war, but that they could make any attack on them very damaging to those around them.
It started with massive amounts of artillery, then missiles, now nukes.
Ever since the talk of Trump & Kim meeting, my fear has been Kim would bring him close and say "For you see, my grandfathers strategy has worked. Here the leader of one of the great powers has come to negotiate with us... only to discover that they will never unseat us, because now they know that we are strong and can never be stopped."
*fingers crossed* it's a legitimate olive branch.
And watch the media spin like GE's finest turbines.
'Palestinians', or more accurately, local Arabs, do live in that land. What you are likely describing is them occupying Israel and doing their damndest to reduce Jews to a minority, so that they can get rid of the one Jewish country that is actually the original home of the Jews
It's been 70 years, and everywhere else in the world, when people have been displaced, they settle down in newer countries and assimilate there, rather than carry that grudge across generations. Like Crimean Tatars in Uzbekistan, or Sindhi Hindus in India. Aside from the people in the West Bank or Gaza, there are Palis who left that area to settle in other countries, such as Tunisia, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, et al. There is no reason why they can't just settle down in those countries, and assimilate into their populations
I have no dog in this fight between American or Chinese politicians. From my neutral perspective, what I felt was that this was Kim's plan all along.
NK had a very high percentage of their GDP being spent in military, and it is a difficult thing to sustain.
The people were also suffering, and as a new dictator (not accustomed to the suffering of the people as one who has ruled for decades), it wasnt a nice thing to have.
The solution to avoid (a) Iraq/Libya like situation - where the ruler is deposed and killed and (2) to improve the lives of people, was nuclear armaments and missiles.
Once they have reached a deterrent level nuclear capability and missile capability - the need for a huge military and its associated spending decreases, and more money can be poured into improving the economy.
For that, they need to open up the markets also. So, this overture.
NK is planning to follow Chinas policy - open economy, authoritarian leadership. And the way to achieve it is through nuclear and missile deterrents - which they think they have achieved now.
I feel the other aspects (Trump/Xi etc) doesnt really have much of an impact in this plan.
rajmohan_h@yahoo.com
When news first hit, the media was broadsided and reports/anchors, even from CNN, were positive and even commending Trump.
The next morning (after their 4 AM talking points) the reports were more along the lines of "Oh, we've heard this from North Korea before. It won't really happen.".
And they're right, in a way. These deals take years to complete. Once Trump is no longer president NK will back out of any "deal" they agreed to. Their only reason for wanting peace is due to Trump's willingness to pull the trigger. If a new president, one with a more Obama-ish attitude, comes in then NK will revert to previous behaviour.
You read it here first.
I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.