More than a year into the Trump administration, we still don’t have:
-a U.S. ambassador to South Korea
-a confirmed assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
-a Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues
-a Sanctions Coordinator
-a U.S. ambassador to South Korea
-a confirmed assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
-a Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues
-a Sanctions Coordinator
Despite his recent announcement that he would accept a meeting with Kim Jong Un, @realDonaldTrump has systematically undermined the effectiveness of the very agency – the U.S. Department of State – that he will need to make talks successful.
I am concerned that if these talks do not go well, @realDonaldTrump will be able to claim that we tried economic pressure and we tried diplomacy, but neither has worked. He will be left with the conclusion that the only approach remaining is military force.
But we must be clear. There is no military solution to the #NorthKorea crisis.
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Although the current situation we face with NK is not identical to the run-up to the Iraq War in 2003, the NK situation is, in fact, worse.
We must learn the appropriate lessons regarding the use of military force.
We must learn the appropriate lessons regarding the use of military force.
We have an obligation to American families, servicemembers, and our allies to say—unequivocally—that we did everything in our power without resorting to armed conflict.
