Awful news article on TPM re NK missile and US response
[update - see below for Roubini copy-paste]
TPM has been offering AP stories.
I'm giving Obama another black mark for how this is initially being handled. There's nothing smart here on his part, it's standard pablum. I find the Iranian, Chinese and Russian responses to be correct. And the fact that they needed to say what they did means that someone is agitating mindlessly. Obviously Japan, but if only Japan then so what, so it has to be the USA and perhaps allies too.
Every week which passes shows Obama becoming more and more a pawn of the status quo instead of a progressive leader. Articles like this piece of trash (it has problems in about every other paragraph) aren't needed.
For those of you who haven't followed the NK saga, Clinton made a deal with NK about 15 years ago. The idea was a light water reactor and some oil in exchange for NK giving up its own nuclear development program. The USA (and/or allies involved in the deal) broke the deal unilaterally leaving NK to proceed on its own path. Bush put NK on the Axis of Evil and used it as a whipping boy, grossly mishandling things.
From Roubini:
Of course launching a rocket has absolutely nothing to do with nuclear non-proliferation. Sheeesh.
TPM has been offering AP stories.
The U.S. and its allies sought punishment Sunday for North Korea's defiant launch of a rocket that apparently fizzled into the Pacific, holding an emergency U.N. meeting in response to the "provocative act" that some believe was a long-range missile test.Punishment? C'mon folks, you don't punish people for things you only imagine (some believe) they did. Did NK successfully launch a satellite or did the launch "fizzle"? The article in its superficial propaganda doesn't tell us.
President Barack Obama, faced with his first global security crisis, called for an international response and condemned North Korea for threatening the peace and stability of nations "near and far."
I'm giving Obama another black mark for how this is initially being handled. There's nothing smart here on his part, it's standard pablum. I find the Iranian, Chinese and Russian responses to be correct. And the fact that they needed to say what they did means that someone is agitating mindlessly. Obviously Japan, but if only Japan then so what, so it has to be the USA and perhaps allies too.
Every week which passes shows Obama becoming more and more a pawn of the status quo instead of a progressive leader. Articles like this piece of trash (it has problems in about every other paragraph) aren't needed.
For those of you who haven't followed the NK saga, Clinton made a deal with NK about 15 years ago. The idea was a light water reactor and some oil in exchange for NK giving up its own nuclear development program. The USA (and/or allies involved in the deal) broke the deal unilaterally leaving NK to proceed on its own path. Bush put NK on the Axis of Evil and used it as a whipping boy, grossly mishandling things.
From Roubini:
North Korean Missile Launch: What Is Its End Game?
- April 5: North Korea carried through with its plan to fire a rocket across the Pacific to launch a satellite despite concerns from the U.S., Japan and others who warned that testing long-range missiles would contravene a 2006 UN resolution. The move raises the risk of further sanctions and may be a first test of the Obama administration's policy on non-proliferation
Of course launching a rocket has absolutely nothing to do with nuclear non-proliferation. Sheeesh.
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Punishment was the practically screaming headline in NY Times over the weekend.
Can't wait to see what punishment of North Korea is going to look like.
April 6, 2009 8:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for calling this.
Recommended.
April 6, 2009 10:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
It is comical that the USA has thousands of nukes, but if some small nation wants to develop one, they are evil/provocative/terrorists/rogues.
April 6, 2009 12:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorta, but of course they were "rogue" and "terrorist" and "evil" before they started getting serious about getting the bomb.
And again, as I may have not put it clearly re the Roubini item, setting off a rocket is not a matter of nuclear proliferation.
Also, the virtual paranoia in the press about "NK rocket might be able to hit the USA" is just ludicrous. One NK missile, if launched with nuclear weapon and amazingly accurate and not shot down, might hit one US site. That hurts but does not disable the US. And two or three... And then what happens to NK? It's not a credible threat. Yes it would be catastrophic. No, don't go for paranoia.
Look at the larger picture, folks.
April 6, 2009 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly right, eds.
I would repeat what I wrote a week ago, but you can read it here if you like:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/acanuck/
First point: It's amazing how much ink and angst is being spilled over the "threats" from Iran and North Korea, the last remaining members of Bush's mythical "Axis of Evil."
The best U.S. intelligence is that Iran has no nuclear-weapons program and has not decided to pursue one. As for North Korea, it has conducted one partially successful nuclear test and two partially successful tests of long-range rockets. To imagine they are so suicidal they would launch an unprovoked attack on the States or its allies is to be as mad as we claim that Kim Jong-il is.
Meanwhile, there are dozens if not hundreds of tried and tested nukes rattling around unstable Pakistan and the former Soviet Union; they are a far more immediate threat.
Second point: Having overhyped the danger of a North Korean launch, the U.S. is locked into demanding a strong UN response, even though it was clear in advance that China and Russia would veto any new Security Council sanctions.
That realization is finally seeping in, and it now looks like Japan (which embraced and expanded on U.S. hysteria) will be left to attempt most of the heavy lifting.
A bit of an embarrassment for Obama, but it shows he and Hillary are learning from their mistakes (and cutting their losses).
April 6, 2009 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
"A bit of an embarrassment for Obama, but it shows he and Hillary are learning from their mistakes (and cutting their losses)."
Does it? I don't see the evidence of learning, in fact to me this was all obvious for years (the Bush overhyping etc) so it seems to me that rather having learned or cut their losses, they've continued down the Bush path with the only change being that they are not talking quite as tough. However they are sounding weak instead of powerfully different from Bush.
Thanks for the comment. I am inclined to agree re the Iran noise too.
And your blog post is a good one, I rec'd it belatedly. One thing to note, which the papers have not:
"And that violates a 2006 Security Council resolution"
So what? That's not something NK agreed to, so the alleged violation (I've read that the resolution left loopholes which NK may have legitimately exploited) is not NK breaking its word, only NK standing up for its sovereign if wacko rights.
April 6, 2009 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd argue the mistake they are learning from is that of initially continuing the Bush policy (not having had much time to reformulate it).
But the fact they sent out a heavy hitter (Robert Gates) to shoot down the idea the U.S. might shoot down the missile suggests they are quick studies, able to adapt to changing situations.
I agree with your point about the SC resolution, which bizarrely insists that North Korea abide by its non-proliferation treaty obligations, glossing over that country's withdrawal from the NPT three years earlier.
April 7, 2009 1:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
I remain skeptical but still hopeful.
April 7, 2009 7:41 PM | Reply | Permalink