[From Sep 7, 2019]
"WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged Friday that North Korea has the right to defend itself and assured Pyongyang of Washington's security guarantees should the regime dismantle its nuclear weapons program."
m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20…
"WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged Friday that North Korea has the right to defend itself and assured Pyongyang of Washington's security guarantees should the regime dismantle its nuclear weapons program."
m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20…
2/"Those nuclear weapon systems that North Korea has been driving towards for decades now don't provide the security that the North Koreans believe they do," he said in the interview. "In fact, what will provide them security is coming to a set of understandings with the United
3/"States and with the world to denuclearize. And when they do so, we'll provide the security assurances that are needed for them and for their people. Every nation has the sovereign right to defend itself. Then we can create economic opportunity and better lives for the people
4/"of North Korea as well."
I agree w/ Pompeo that indeed: "Every nation has the sovereign right to defend itself." But I disagree w/ his assertion that DPRK's nuclear deterrent doesn't "provide the security that the North Koreans believe they" have. I'll refer Mike to
I agree w/ Pompeo that indeed: "Every nation has the sovereign right to defend itself." But I disagree w/ his assertion that DPRK's nuclear deterrent doesn't "provide the security that the North Koreans believe they" have. I'll refer Mike to
5/Deterrence Theory 101, Chapter 7: Building Second Strike Capability to Deter a Preemptive Nuclear First Strike. If the US were to try regime change, decapitation strike or preemptive nuclear first strike on DPRK (John Bolton's advice), they will darn sure have teeth in their
6/military response which must frustrate the Pentagon to no end. You can almost hear it saying: "Come on DPRK, play nice. Give up your nukes so we can take over your country. Make it easy for us." There's no pulling the wool over DPRK's eyes; they've finally wised up to the US.
7/This 👇statement belies the condescension built into a superpower superiority complex:
"...we'll provide the security assurances that are needed for them and for their people…Then we can create economic opportunity and better lives for the people."
D.C.'s so thick-headed it
"...we'll provide the security assurances that are needed for them and for their people…Then we can create economic opportunity and better lives for the people."
D.C.'s so thick-headed it
8/hasn't yet dawned on it that perhaps DPRK, which lives by the Juche ideology of self-reliance, MIGHT WANT TO CREATE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ITS OWN WAY, a socialist way, and not be "helped" like they're a basket case (which US/UN clearly want DPRK to be, the raison d'être of
9/of sanctions: "Please, DPRK, collapse! Collapse! Do we have to add MORE sanctions?") The US's habitual practice of "democracy building" has met w/ fierce headwinds from a small nuclear socialist state that eschews the "dictatorship of the bourgeoisie" for socialist collective.
10/Mike's words: "Every nation has the sovereign right to defend itself." are reassuring. If this IS a bedrock core belief of Washington's, then living w/ a limited nuclear DPRK might be around the corner, & US would focus on the sane path of civilized nations: threat reduction.
@threadreaderapp compile
11/Forgot to mention that in Pompeo's statement the two components are mutual exclusive:
I) DPRK's right to defend itself
II) US promise of "security guarantees should the regime dismantle its nuclear weapons program"
You can't have both. DPRK can choose I or II. It has chosen I.
I) DPRK's right to defend itself
II) US promise of "security guarantees should the regime dismantle its nuclear weapons program"
You can't have both. DPRK can choose I or II. It has chosen I.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
