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North Korea Announces Plans To Dismantle Nuclear Test Site (npr.org)
The Associated Press is reporting North Korea has announced plans to dismantle its nuclear test site between May 23 and 25. The dismantling will occur before President Trump is scheduled to meet with Kim Jong-un in Singapore on June 12. NPR reports: Reuters reports that Punggye-ri nuclear test site has been the location of all of North Korea's six known nuclear tests. At the site, there's a system of tunnels under the mountain Mount Mantap. Journalists from the United States, South Korea, China, Russia and Britain will be invited to watch a special ceremony in which all of the tunnels at the testing ground will be destroyed and observation and research facilities and guard units will be taken down. The North Korean government will provide journalists with a charter flight from Beijing to Wosnan, North Korea. From there, a train will take them to the test site in the northeast part of the country.
The AP also reports that at a ruling party meeting last month, North Korea announced the plan to close the nuclear testing ground, along with a commitment to suspend all tests of nuclear devices and ICBMs. At that same meeting, however, North Korea said it has been performing a kind of nuclear test classified as "subcritical." The "subcritical" experiments give scientists an opportunity to test weapons without causing an actual nuclear chain reaction and explosion.
The AP also reports that at a ruling party meeting last month, North Korea announced the plan to close the nuclear testing ground, along with a commitment to suspend all tests of nuclear devices and ICBMs. At that same meeting, however, North Korea said it has been performing a kind of nuclear test classified as "subcritical." The "subcritical" experiments give scientists an opportunity to test weapons without causing an actual nuclear chain reaction and explosion.
The South Korean president and Foreign Minister both said that Trump was the primary reason for NK's capitulation.
Lots of things are spin in this day and age, but sometimes there's an actual fact that gets out. You can still hate Trump and also appreciate that he might have ended the Korean War by shitposting on Twitter.
In fact, this very site has already had tests suspended indefinitely, likely because a mountain fell on it. From the article:
"The breakdown not only took off part of the mountain’s summit but also created a “chimney” that could allow fallout to rise from the blast centre into the air"
So, um good job Kim, taking a desperate attempt at mitigating a massive environmental disaster that could have blanketed half a hemisphere in radioactive fallout and trying to parlay it into a gesture of goodwill?
One potential problem with Korean negotiations is the optics, and the tendency of people to dislike being proven wrong, losing face, and being shown as disingenuous or hypocritical.
We could help the process along by giving Kim the widest exit-ramp from his situation. We don't have to be the sore, arrogant winners here.
So let's suppose that the existing test site was partially destroyed by the collapse, and still held significant development capability. We don't know that this is *not* true.
If the rest of the world were to take the positive view and assume the best, then this is Kim making a real effort to promote peace between the two nations.
A highly respectable gesture, and offered before negotiations.
Actually, that sounds 'kinda classy when you think about it.
Wasn't their test site already "dismantled" by a massive tunnel collapse?
It is actually a little annoying that while the scientific and anti-proliferation communities/groups have been discussing what has happened to the testing site, you may only find a bare hint of that discussion in the regular news. But, as one commentator here has pointed out, if we all just close our eyes and pretend that the DPRK didn't shift an entire mountain on accident and create a potentially massive environmental disaster in its backyard, then it might help facilitate the peace process. Face gets saved, and actions of desperate necessity become grande gestures of peace. All the important people can get Nobel Peace prizes and feel good about themselves.
Welcome to Diplomacy 101, where you don't have to feel good about what you did as long as the results are acceptable.
I believe asking nicely is what Obama did. Nice fellow, Obama.
I don't know how much Trump had to do with this.
Remember North Korea is smaller than Hewlett-Packard, they the US could easily destroy NK; we don't mostly because of politics. I know that if *I* were Kim Jong-un, and that wacky Trump dude were threatening to nuke my country, pointing out his big nuclear button, that would make me a bit more nervous than Obma's approach did. Trump seems like the kind of guy who just might decide, against the advice of his advisers, to go ahead and send a flight of three B-52s loaded up with 60 cruise missiles to go ahead and eliminate most of the major buildings in North Korea.
Keep in mind, North Korea has much less industry (gdp) than Birmingham, Alabama; Jacksonville; or Memphis.
It would be easy for Trump to just wake up one morning and decide "I'm tired of little Rocket Man. Let's blow up North Korea today and be done with it". It might not be a GOOD idea, but it would be easy for the US to do. Trump just might do something that Obama and Bush wouldn't do.
It may be that Trump asked nicely AFTER he grabbed them by the crotch. That's more Trump's MO, just asking nicely isn't really his thing - even when he should.
Without knowing, I can only listen to what the people who are in a better position to know have to say.
Xi Jinping's memoirs will probably be fairly uninteresting, for three reasons.
First, he inherited his leadership position. Actually, this whole generation of Chinese leaders are called "princelings" because their fathers were leaders. None of them earned their title through any sort of true merit.
Second, nothing that he's said or written has indicated any sort of really novel thinking. His famous "socialism with Chinese characteristics" that makes up the basis of his writings basically amounts to a form of hereditary, authoritatian oligarchy. Pretty blase, boring stuff that's been tried over and over again with little success.
Third, he's a dictator. Dictators are fairly one-dimensional, unimaginative types who have very little to add to the sum of humanity's achievements. They don't do their countries any good and very rarely leave any good legacy behind.
No, he's not suggesting that. He's suggesting that this test site was already getting pretty defunct, so as a PR stunt NK is inviting everyone to watch while they blow up the old test site.
You gotta love the Trump apologists.
It goes something like this:
1. It is not that bad.
2. Democrats did it (even if they didn't)
3. No one really cares.
4. Even if it happened it doesn't matter.
Did Trump collude with russians? Yes, we have two examples of proof. First his chosen people had that meeting with Russians. Second Trump openly asked for help on national tv. Will whatever he did along those lines result in jail time? Don't know. Have to wait and see.
Is Trump guilty of pay for play? Most certainly. Trump's lawyer, who represents Trump directly, and is presumably acting with Trump's knowledge directly accepted crazy sums of money for influence. That is obvious influence pedling.
Is Trump guilty of reckless disregard for the environment. Yes, see scott pruit.
Is Trump guilty of far more than Clinton was impeached for? Sure. You've got what a dozen or so women, and at least one confirmed pay off, which certainly was illegal since it was a material contribution way outside of bounds to his campaign.
Is Trump's word good for anything? Nope. He's over 3000 lies since he took office. I believe he has been awarded lie of the year at least once, likely for the birther crap, which was a perfect example of the low form of life that he is.
Is trump generally morally repugnant and unfit for office? Hell yes, see massive insults to gold star families, war heroes(mccain), etc, etc. Hell he just praised the leader of north korea who sent the previous guest to his country home as a vegetable. Meanwhile one of his staff said something repulsive about McCain and he does nothing.
Was getting out of the iran deal wise? Well given that I see no real plan for a better solution, and that other major credible countries are struggling to save it, I'm going to go with no. The fact that gas prices spiked is just an added bonus.
Did trump obstruct justice? Yes, see lester holt interview, and recent interviews by Juliani. Hell he regularly threatens to get involved with the justice department and regularly threatens to fire people. He tried and failed to push Jeff Sessions out only because he dare not actually fire him. Hell he actually apparently approved using the excuse that he fired comey because he was mean to Hillary, and no one with a brain could buy that Trump cared a crap about that.
He also seems to be doing the odd strategy pardon, such with scooter libby, likely to give people a sign if they just hold out the fix is in. I believe his lawyers have even discussed pardoning some of the people under investigation.