We all want to see the North Korean crisis resolved diplomatically and the administration deserves enormous credit for the maximum pressure campaign. In the last 16 months alone, @POTUS has designated more North Korean entities for sanctions than in the previous 8 years.
But unless the subsequent Pompeo-led negotiations compel the Kim regime to make new & concrete concessions, count me a skeptic when it comes to whether yesterday’s agreement advanced the ball down the field toward CVID in any meaningful way.
In fact, a few things seem obvious causes for greater skepticism:
1) Any drawn-out process plays to North Korea's and China’s advantage, as it saps energy from the maximum pressure campaign and allows Kim to create pressure for peace at any price.
1) Any drawn-out process plays to North Korea's and China’s advantage, as it saps energy from the maximum pressure campaign and allows Kim to create pressure for peace at any price.
2) While the suspension of our military exercises is easily reversible, we shouldn’t be stopping any joint exercises with our allies. These exercises are important to countering China’s regional aggression, in addition to Kim Jong-un's hostility.
3) Our presence on the Korean Peninsula is non-negotiable and should not be a part of denuclearization. KJU must be made to understand his regime’s survival depends on dismantlement. It’s not easy but it is simple.
4) A year ago this month Otto Warmbier died. He was killed by the Kim regime. I’m not naïve. I recognize that sometimes we have to talk to some unsavory people, but any future negotiations should minimize pageantry and maximize focus on KJU’s abysmal human rights record.
5) Of course media and many politicos are drowning in hypocrisy if you compare their past positions on Iran and Cuba. But to be intellectually honest, those of us critical of the Iran deal must also apply the same standards to these negotiations.
Man I hope I’m wrong. I want @POTUS to succeed. Toward that end I’ll be pushing Congress to 1) play an active role in the negotiations; 2) reject any deal that doesn’t achieve CVID; and 3) ensure US forces in SK continue to be an enduring force for peace and stability in NE Asia.
