Inter-Korean Thaw Anathema to Washington

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

Washington has been hostile to North Korea since the peninsula was divided post-WW II.

US policymakers since the Truman administration rejected improved relations. Things today are especially tense.

Trump and other administration hardliners prefer bullying, pressure and brinkmanship to responsible dialogue to ease tensions and work toward resolving contentious issues.

Inter-Korean ministerial and working-level talks showed both countries favor stepping back from the brink, prioritizing efforts to avoid catastrophic war on the peninsula.

The DPRK will participate in next month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang County, South Korea.

The Pyongyang delegation will include government officials, along with athletes representing the country.

Both Koreas will march together in the opening ceremony under a unified Korean peninsula flag. They'll field a joint women's hockey team. They may also field a joint two-man bobsleigh team.

Cheerleaders from both nations will cheer for their athletes together. Pyongyang agreed to send a Taekwondo demonstration team.

It'll send its press corps to cover the games. Both Koreas will hold joint cultural events at Mount Kumgang in North Korea - before the opening ceremony of the games.

Skiers from both countries will participate in joint training exercises at the DPRK's Masik Pass ski facility.

A 150-member North Korean delegation is coming to the 2018 Paralympic Games in March, following the Winter Olympics, including athletes, cheerleaders, art performers and reporters.

On January 20 at an International Olympic Committee meeting, attended by representatives of both Koreas, names of DPRK athletes and officials attending the games will be announced.

Instead of welcoming improved inter-Korean relations, the Trump administration rejects them, an earlier statement calling talks between both countries an attempt to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul.

Trump rejects diplomacy with Pyongyang, calling it a waste of time, his latest remarks saying "I'm not sure that sitting down will solve the problem," adding:

"We're playing a very, very hard game of poker and you don't want to reveal your hand."

Diplomacy is the only acceptable option. Nothing else can work. Days earlier, Pyongyang accused Washington of "throwing cold water on "an (inter-Korean) atmosphere of reconciliation."

During a press conference in Vancouver, Rex Tillerson warned of a military option, disgracefully blaming North Korea for Washington's refusal to choose diplomacy over hostile rhetoric and confrontational policies.

Tensions remain high on the peninsula because the Trump administration refuses to ease them. So did his predecessors.

Washington demands all nations bend to its will. Outliers wanting their sovereign independence respected are targeted for regime change - naked aggression America's favored option.

Is war on North Korea next? US imperial madness makes anything possible.

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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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