The US v. North Korea

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Two Kim Jong-Un/Trump summits achieved virtually nothing toward stepping back from the brink on the Korean peninsula toward regional peace, stability, and normalized bilateral relations.

Why is because Republicans and undemocratic Dems want all sovereign independent governments replaced by US-controlled puppet regimes, beholden to its interests.

When summits or other bilateral talks are held between Washington and ruling authorities of nations it doesn't control, one-sided unacceptable demands are made in return for hollow promises.

When made, they're breached time and again, North Korea experiencing US betrayal - once following a 1994 Agreed Framework.

The DPRK made major concessions, upholding them in vain, sold out after GW Bush called Pyongyang part of an axis of evil in his first State of the Union address, breaching what was agreed on.

In August 2003, six-party talks were initiated, involving North and South Korea, China, Russia, the US and Japan.

In 2005, Pyongyang pledged to abandon "all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs." In 2009, talks broke down following disagreements over verification, along with international condemnation of a DPRK ballistic missile test – what many other countries do without criticism of their programs.

Hostility and betrayal defined US policy toward North Korea throughout its post-WW II history. 

Washington breached earlier agreements, not Pyongyang – eager for rapprochement and normalized relations, what the US consistently rejected.

This time is proving no different. Likely aiming for Nobel Peace Prize recognition to add to his resume, Trump may genuinely want improved DPRK/US relations.

Yet things deteriorated post-June 2018 summit talks, Trump regime hardliners Pompeo and Bolton bearing full responsibility. 

Last summer, North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused the US of pursuing "unilateral and gangster-like demands for denuclearization," calling its unacceptable actions "deeply regrettable," sabotaging normalization efforts.

Hardliners Pompeo and Bolton treat Pyongyang disdainfully, how they abuse all sovereign independent governments.

Following last June's summit talks, the DPRK showed good faith by ceasing nuclear and ballistic missile tests, along with dismantling its nuclear test site. In return, Trump regime hardliners made unacceptable demands with no good faith actions.

Last December, more illegal US sanctions were imposed on three senior DPRK officials. Expressing "shock and indignation," Pyongyang accused the Trump regime of "block(ing) the path to denuclearization on the Korean peninsula forever," adding:

The US is "bent on bringing...relations back to the status of last year" when Trump demeaned Kim by calling him "little rocket man," and made "fire and fury like the world has never seen" threats.

Before last June's summit talks, Pompeo said "American interests are held at risk" by the existential threat posed by North Korea - a bald-faced Big Lie about a nation that never attacked another country throughout its post-WW II history, threatening none now.

Its nuclear and ballistic missile programs are solely for defense because of the genuine fear of possible US aggression - having experienced its destructive power in the early 1950s, wanting no repeat of that devastating time.

Pompeo and Bolton are running the Trump regime's geopolitical agenda, warmongers deploring world peace and stability, why they're figures to be feared, never trusted.

They made repeated hostile comments about the DPRK. Bolton earlier said that the only way to end North Korea's nuclear program is "to end (the) regime," adding: 

"It's not enough…to impose sanctions," falsely claiming Pyongyang's ruling authorities pose "a threat to stability in the region that undermines security."

Hanoi summit talks likely failed because Pompeo and Bolton sabotaged them, likely opposed to Kim/Trump summit talks in the first place, plotting straightaway last year to undermine them.

Good faith DPRK efforts haven't been enough to advance things incrementally toward normalized relations with Washington. It's been an unattainable objective for over 70 years - including when more moderate US ruling authorities were in charge.

Reaching accommodation with Trump regime hardliners is an unattainable objective - based on their belligerent actions toward all sovereign independent governments - notably Iran, Syria, and Venezuela, spurning diplomatic relations with their ruling authorities, wanting them toppled and replaced by US-controlled puppet regimes.

Following Hanoi summit talks, North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho explained that Kim told Trump he was willing to "permanently and completely dismantle all the nuclear production facilities" at Yongbyon, its main site, in return for partial lifting of US sanctions, ones "that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people."

Western media falsely claimed that Pyongyang demanded the lifting of all US sanctions. The self-styled newspaper of record NYT falsely said the following:

"…Mr. Kim…offered to dismantle the North's most important nuclear facility if the United States lifted the harsh sanctions imposed on his nation…"

Other establishment media reports were similar. Trump lied saying "(b)asically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that."

No such demand was made! Over eight months post-last year's Kim/Trump summit, North Korea's good faith efforts to reach accommodation with Washington achieved no concrete results.

It's because US hardliners want continued confrontation, not rapprochement. A state of war persists because Republicans and Dems refuse to end an uneasy armistice by formally ending the 1950s war.

They refuse to respect nonbelligerent North Korean sovereignty. They're unwilling to offer anything in return for unacceptable demands except hollow promises to be broken like earlier - why they can never be trusted. 

The Korean peninsula remains a hugely dangerous flashpoint because the US refuses to step back from the brink to avoid the risk of potentially catastrophic nuclear war.

It remains an ominous possibility because of Washington's rage for dominance over cooperative relations with the DPRK.

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My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

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