He comes from an elite Canadian family

At which point does it not become okay to say that he's not an elitist?

Gee, didn't Bill Clinton solve that whole N Korean nuclear problem?

"We have to focus in order to develop an accurate picture of what is going on and what are its capabilities," Panetta said.

Why is it so difficult..? The role of Tehran becomes a Game winner for the thinking Terrorist. If the Pakistan nuclear program is made available to Tehran the focus becomes less on Afghanistan & the Bin Laden Scum. Our Troops MUST be pulled out of the region for thier own protection..

IMO Obama doesn't have 6 months.. That is unless Tehran already has Pakistan's Nuclear capability; which would mean we are already committed to a first strike & the CIA statement is intended to cloak that intent.(the Clock in Hours)

North Korea declares it conducted nuclear test

http://tinyurl.com/ogzohy

Both the report in the Guardian and the Reuters report are worth reading for their sheer feckless
disconeect with reality. We know that media people are louche degenerates but really! they should cut back on the drugs while at work.

Having nuclear weapons and a delivery system neans never having to say you're sorry. The Guardian say, "Country risks further international
isolation as underground nuclear explosion". Well, with nukes, if you want to be isolated, you're isolated. If you want to be in someone else's face, you're in someone else's face.

The Guardian adds, "The test comes less than two months after the North enraged the US and its allies by test firing a long-range ballistic missile."
If you have nukes, making the Moonbat Emperor hopping mad is just the icing on the cake.

As for the Reuters report, what can one say? Developing nuclear weapons and a delivery system is the most serious and costly policy which a modern nation
can adopt. A few huffs and temper tantrums from the Chief Moonbat aren't going to change anyone's mind in the least.

For all the criticism of Bush from some quarters, he was actually folowing the script opposite to what he did in Iraq. He was negotiating, was multi lateral etc.

Now US freedom of action is severly limited with North Korea, but the key is and always has been China. What do the Chinese fear, nuclear and/or rearmed Japan and South Korea. Time to start playing that threat/card to get the Chinese to put this regime back in the box.

I was willing to give Obama a chance on the "open hand" policy. It works to let you regain the high moral ground and get others to at least stop opposing your actions, and at best support them.

BUT, key to that policy is that the offers are genuine, one time and followed by a closed hand if not accepted, then you can offer again. A perpetual open hand makes you look weak.

The startegic nightmare for the US is that they will be challenged in multiple places at once, Korea, Iran, Pakistan, Central asia, South America, Israel/Palestine etc. You cannot teach them all a lesson at the same time. You need an example. Sadly it looks like the barbarians are co-ordinating to do be simultaneous.

Watch for a South american challenge soon and then maybe a domestic one unless Obama gets one of these whack a moles taken care of.

Obama may stumble into a situation far worse than his predecessor. Let's hope not, because there wont be many options on the table. This isnt community organizing and it isnt even Chicago politics. It is more serious than that.

Ogabe is too weak-minded to oppose tyrants. Private enterprise on the other hand is easy to trample on for Dear Leader. Face it... the West is in deep trouble with a wet noodle as US President.

Stephen

For Japan to re-arm, they have to have some youth to re-arm. Since they're mostly childless and their robot program isn't ready for armed services, their chances at re-arming seems remote.

And why bother. Right now the worlds problems are the Yanks problem (and cost.)

If the US wanted the rest of the world to start acting like adults, they'd stop paying for the world's defence. Of course, a few more Obama budgets and they won't have a choice...

Obamassiah will solve the problem by apologizing while he bows in subservience to Kim.

"But , but , did they not see the election results, did someone not tell them I am President now..get them on the phone!" - upon hearing about the nuclear test in North Korea, the President seemed at a loss for why they would do this after saying they would not.
( I just made this up so no freaking out )

This part is the scary bit..

Missle Plus Bomb = Nuclear Blackmail of the South(means nuclear armed warships deployed to protect South Korea) which means a major Test of Obama's Diplomacy is our first,last and only line of Defense Foreign Policy Position.

How could he possibly reconcile his messaging to the world about the more tolerent America who just wants to listen with making North Korea Glow in the Dark for 50 years.

Answer: He will let them have South Korea. Just a sacrifice to save the American Image he has built up in hsi whacko fantasy land unicorn forest liberal utopia.

Japan has a significant military. What scares the Chinese most, and what the Japanese probably need to protect their aging society is nukes.

Nonetheless, there are about 6,000,000 fighting age males (20-30) in Japan, the next cohort has 5,000,0000 and the one after that has 4,500,000

There are slightly less fighting age females in each of these cohorts.

South Korea has an 3.8 million, 3.5 million and 2.5 million respectively

I agree the Japanese pyramid is top heavy but the sheer numbers make it formidable. Especially with modern force multipliers....look at what 150,000 Americans did in Iraq..mind you they are the class of the planet.

The Japanese issue is their military is completely untested and has been for some time. But I am sure the Chinese don't want more nukes and further invigorated Japanese military, which currently is about the size of either Italy, france or germany and quite capable of being ramped up to top 10 or top 5 power if they put their minds and resources to it.

But I agree the US needs to get their allies to start sharing the burden, whihc means the US will be cutting back its influence, just a question of who and how many fill the gap.

Illiquid,

He wont let them have South Korea, for a couple of reasons.

The South Koreans, having tried Sunshine are realing it hasnt got them anywhere. They are starting to take a harder line....good, makes it easier.

I would fear for a coup within the US if Obama sacrificed South Korea....it is so important to US Asia policy and US military positioning that I think the military would think the Pres was nuts.

But you are correct about the dilema a unilateral aggressive US policy has AT ANY TIME. There is a differene between being listening and being a doormat. Carter was a doormat, and the Europeans and others eventually turned on him. Obama hasn't proven the charge yet, but may well be on the path. You can only do this once and it may gain you back important allies and perception. But once is all your enemies AND your friends will tolerate.

Obama has a big choice coming, he can be a Carter or he can be a Kennedy (Kennedy learned his lesson about weakness after stumbling badly at the beginning). He can even be a Bush, who was weak in his response to the Chinese taking of a US military aircraft but then got tougher.

Biden was right, you can't say they didnt know it was coming. The steps Obama takes in the next few weeks may well determine what kind of world we live in for the next few years...I dont want to overstate the case but thats where we are on the decision tree.

What disturbs me is the way history repeats itself....The last great naive, camelot president ignored advice and let Soviet nuke missiles into Cuba and then nearly gave us WW3.....moron....
Is this naive, camelot president going to be as lucky....bad guy leaders with the wisdom Of Kruschev have been replaced by Bin ladins, Ayatollahs, Kim Il Sungs and Ahsuchasmucks......

"Gee, didn't Bill Clinton solve that whole N Korean nuclear problem?"

Posted by: grok at May 25, 2009 10:24 AM

Naaa, you were thinking of JimmyBob Carter. He has "negotiated" with tyrants for many years, with or without government approval. You can clearly see how that has turned out.

Bolten (who's despised by the Left) called it to perfection.

Of course the fact that Bolton was absolutely correct, is not only related to the left hating him, its the principal cause.

"Bolton's stance is pretty brave because his frenzied ideology flies in the face of scholarly counsel." Yeah, I put a lot of faith in the "scholarly counsel" that comes out of our PC universities and State Department these days. These people wouldn't know the truth if it bit them in the ass. John Bolton is brilliant and not afraid to say the truths that the lefties just hate. I loved his comment about the UN building having too many stories, by about 10 if I remember correctly. I have a bad feeling that one or all of these psychotic regimes are going to eat Obama and his sorry crew for lunch. It's Jimmy Carter versus nukes.

North Korea is testing nukes for Iran. Iran can't test them in the ME or that would bring hellfire from Israel.

Iran will try to nuke Israel using North Korea nukes and their mid range delivery system.

The bets are: who will nuke whom first.

My money and hopes are on the Jews.

I have only one question. Why is there not a B2 bomber dropping leaflets on Pyongyang today?

When a crazy dictator shows you he can light off a nuke, surely the only thing to do is forcibly remind him you can chuck one through his bathroom window any time you want.

Would it be better to wait until one of these freaks blows up a city or two? I already lived through one Cold War, we're going to have another now? Break out those dusty old copies of Duck and Cover, are we?

Bary better move up that short victorious war he's planning.

Reply to Stephen..

Regarding the sacrificing of South Korea.

If Obama walked out into the Rose Garden and said...

"In the name of the greater good and lasting peace, I have decided that the US will not defend South Korea through military force, instead the United States will broker a transition that will allow to emerge a more stable a properous unified Korea, I cannot sacrifice the blood and the treasure of America to defend South Korea while we battle in two other lands. Nor can we destroy the wealth of South Korea battling their own families in the North. I will work to create a re-unification of Korea where they can become a single member in good standing in the community of nations, too long has Korea been divided and the wealth of the South can pave the way to a new future properity in all of Korea, many North Koreans have nothing and their brothers and sisters in the south live under the protections of the west and proper, by bringing the Koreans together together we will find a way to bring democracy and peace to the entire population. For those on the right who say we must defend the South Koreans I say that without allies I cannot act against the North Koreans and without full consent of the United Nations Security Council this Administration will not act."

Ok I made that up off the top of my head, but you get the point that he could sell it.

Does ANYONE think that Iran won't soon have nuclear weapons? What happens after that is anyone's guess.

I fear that our friends on the Left, who assert that it's no big deal, will be sadly mistaken.

The North Koreans have taken how long to get their nuke to go bang rather than pop?????
The main reason the Soviets had such huge rockets was that this miniturization took THEM a long time to figure out. When the US Army had been deploying Davy Crocket (man portable tactical nuker)for years the Soviets smallest device was the size of a VW and weighed like a bulldozer.
Currently the only method the bad guys can deploy a nuke is to conceal it in a jetliner and try to trojan horse it to it's target (suicide mission).
Look to see the IDF shoot down a few stray airliners.....stupid they are not.

Bill Clinton still has less egg on his face for handing North Korea the bomb on a silver platter, than Mulroney and Chretien have for serving the same dish to Pakistan.
Just watch how weakly the other Koreans will respond. South Korea makes France look like a brave nation...

Obama needs to visit North Korea and apologize,
that ought to straighten things out.
*nodding emphatically*

I wouldn't put it past the Chosen One to let South Korea go. After all, what has South Korea done for Obama?
You are right, Stephen, Japan is going to have to re-arm and perhaps get nuclear weapons. It is as though Japan has become the Israel of Asia. No one cares if it is under threat; its neighbours take milquetoast stances (if at all) and its allies couldn't care less; the UN and its permanent security council members love the trouble North Korea is creating. Japan finds itself on its own (the population crisis isn't helping).

A statement like that, if it ever got made, could well be his last.

The Japanese and Australians would freak, let alone the South Koreans. Only if the chinese were standing 4 square behind the North Koreans would this happen...and even then.

reason, a back down like that would mean America's guarantee means nothing anywhere. And the push by all, Russians back into central Europe and Central Asia, Chinese into Taiwan and bullying Japan, Vietnam and others, Syria and Hezbo would go after Israel and Iran might very well target the 100,000 troops in Iraq.

Knowing this scenario, Obama would catch H1N1 before he would be allowed to do this....in the sense that a US coup is unthinkable this is unthinkable...I didnt say impossible though.

I secretly fear you are correct. Obama has to find the right level of respose without overdoing it or underdoing it.

All the more reason to get out of Iraq as soon as they can, the US lacks strategic flexibility. It also is a good reason to limit their spending because they are going to need the money.

But the South Koreans have to be standing four sqauare with whatever response the Americans give. That part of your statement is true, if the OSuth Koreans wont defend themselves then why should the Americans. But I believe they have now realized the Sunshine Policy hasnt bought them anything. Ultimatley this may be a good thing. A committed south with US aircover and naval support will sweep the North.

This is why i think the Chinese will try to find a more rational leader and end Kim Il Jong's rule. Better for them to control the transition rather than find a robust and vibrant united Korea on its doorstep.

Your statemnt, as eerily possible as it might be, would likely be Obama's last major one as President.

When I caught the latest from North Korea on TV early this morning, all I could think of was this: http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2009/05/i-guess-you-had-to-be-there.html
Vitruvius linked to it, but just in case you missed that, scroll about half-way down, 'till you get to "Kim Jong Il".
This makes it all funny.

Will the left apologize?

Apologize? They won’t apologize now nor after a suitcase nuke detonates in downtown NYC. They’ll either say that it’s a CIA conspiracy, or that the evil West simply deserves it.

It’s a strategy from their philosophical bible “All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned In Kindergarten”.

POTUS Obama is the most intelligent president ever. FAIL!

POTUS Obama will prove that negotiations will solve the world's problems. FAIL!

POTUS Obama will gain the cooperation of the members of the "Axis of Evil". FAIL!

The liberals in the "Failed State of California" will suddenly realize that they may eventually be in "range". FAIL!

VPOTUS Biden says the villians of the world will test Obama. BINGO!

Proper Solution: Keep your options open and your missles fueled.

Obama Solution: ah-h-h, em-m-m, er-r-r, ah-h-h, let's write them a sternly worded letter. Ah-h, em-m-m, yeah, that will, ah-h-h, er-r-r, show them we got some skin in the game! As I have, ah-h-h, always said... mmm-m-m-m

Despite Pyongyang's aggression, Mr. Bosworth has reiterated that the U.S. is "committed to dialogue" and is "obviously interested in returning to a negotiating table as soon as we can."

Alright, I agree with Obama, problems should be solved with dialoge rather than military action...if we lived in a perfect world.

What is most disturbing is that Obama appears to by so damn niave that he actually believes his on rhetoric about "Will promise you an open hand if you unclinch your fist" or whatever line he was reading to the ignorant masses.

So, bottom line: Is Obama really stupid enough to think that he can reason with Kim Jong Il and Ahmadinejad?

Obama has no ruddy idea what he is doing at any time, I think.
China wants to control North Korea. Someone will have to step in and end this charade for once and for all.

If South Korea were to be sacrificed, Taiwan would surely be the next country to be thrown under the bus. Lets hope it does not happen.

Kate, the 2nd paragraph should read 'If Bush was running serious administration...'. I 2nd the rest.

I've re-read some of the latest Korean re-unification essays and I am now even more convinced than I was that a re-unification would be supported by the Obama Administration.

The arguments are very much in line with his basic philosophy on equalization and "bringing together opposing groups" and "diplomacy rules" messaging he is trying to make the legacy of his Presidency.

This solves so many short term political problems if he can just intitate the talks, the actual re-unification does not need to happen immediately for him to walk away as the saviour of 10s of thousands of Korean citizens and soldiers, and it would be spun hard to secure a positive and humanitarian aspect to Obama's Foreign Policy.

We get some "strong language to follow" letters as promised by the Unimportant Nations (UN) then some vague promises for 6 way talks then nothing, they got bigger Climate Fish to Fry this year. UNFCC Copenhagen, yah.

Then next year they put a nuke on a stick...

Talks Start > Sanctions Lifted > North Korea Stabilizes under an Influx of Financial Aid > Obama gets a Nobel Peace Prize > Election Win Guaranteed in 2012.

Long term the talks break down and status reverts to the situation faced now.

This may get interesting... either that or I am totally crazy.( I vote Crazy as a Loon)

I'd much rather read a Tom Clancy novel....at least there is generally a hopeful ending.......

As if she hasn't illustrated her lack of sophistication in international affairs sufficiently, Ms. Kilkenney follows up with an article titled: "North Korea's Unsurprising Actions"

http://trueslant.com/allisonkilkenny/

Now she says Bolton's column was "illogical and useless" because he "doesn't propose specific solutions" and his solutions are "vague".

In the original article she took him to task for being dangerously belligerent, now he's too vague.

The title to her followup article seems to suggest that everybody should have known they'd run another test and that Bolton's timing was just lucky. But in her original, Bolton was "discredited".

She's a classic example of why stupidity can be so very dangerous.

what war was ended just by talking? the war in korea started in the 1950's and has never stopped. the fighting has but the war goes on. islamic jihad continues it will never stop and there has been over 1000 years of that. show me the words that are going to protect your life and your freedom. fight until the end.

Ever notice that before every war begins the diplomats are really busy. My solution to end war is to do away with diplomats.
Will Rogers