04-04-2019, 02:58 PM
** 31-Mar-2019 World View: Secret letter from Trump to Kim shows why Hanoi summit collapsed
It has emerged that on the morning of February 28, at the Hanoi summit
between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, Trump gave Kim a letter (two
versions, one in English, one in Korean) explicitly describing what
Trump meant by "final, fully verifiable, denuclearization."
The letter demanded the following of North Korea:
Kim and Trump had been exchanging what the media have been calling
"love letters," and Kim came to the Hanoi summit expecting to charm
Trump into agreeing to remove the sanctions without North Korea having
to take any serious steps to denuclearization, even the simple step of
providing a list of weapons and missiles sites.
Kim Jong-un was trying to defraud Trump in the same way that his
father Kim Jong-il had defrauded President Bush. In 2008, the North
demolished a 60-foot-tall cooling tower to prove that it was ending
its nuclear development programs. In reaction, the Bush
administration agreed to remove all sanctions. As soon as they were
removed, North Korea immediately and openly resumed its nuclear and
ballistic missile development. They had completely defrauded and
humiliated the United States and the world.
There was no way that Trump would ever allow himself to be
defrauded in the same way. Since Trump is the expert in
the "Art of the Deal," we can only speculate what his strategy
was in presenting that letter to Kim. Trump had gone along
with Kim's "charm initiative" for over a year, which was characterized
by ambiguities in the meaning of the term "denuclearization."
Through these ambiguities, Trump had allowed Kim to become
hopeful that he could defraud Trump. Trump must have decided
that, at the Hanoi summit, Kim was thoroughly emotionally
committed to believing he could default Trump, and that the
time was right to apply the ultimate pressure to Kim.
Perhaps this strategy of applying maximum pressure at exactly the
right time will work, and Kim will feel he has no choice but to take
some real denuclearization step. As I've written many time,
I don't expect that, and there is nothing that will convince
Kim to end the program of developing nuclear weapons and
intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Trump's strategy will not work, but as I've said in the past,
I'm not going to criticize Trump for taking steps to try
to prevent World War III, even if World War III is 100% certain.
--- Sources:
-- The day North Korea talks collapsed, Trump passed Kim a note
demanding he turn over his nukes
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/30/with-a-p...apons.html
(CNBC/Reuters)
It has emerged that on the morning of February 28, at the Hanoi summit
between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, Trump gave Kim a letter (two
versions, one in English, one in Korean) explicitly describing what
Trump meant by "final, fully verifiable, denuclearization."
The letter demanded the following of North Korea:
- "fully dismantling North Korea's nuclear infrastructure, chemical
and biological warfare program and related dual-use capabilities; and
ballistic missiles, launchers, and associated facilities."
- Transfer nuclear weapons and bomb fuel to the United States
- Provide a comprehensive declaration of its
nuclear program
- Provide full access to U.S. and international inspectors;
- Halt all related activities and construction of any new facilities
- Eliminate all nuclear infrastructure
- transition all nuclear program scientists and technicians to
commercial activities.
Kim and Trump had been exchanging what the media have been calling
"love letters," and Kim came to the Hanoi summit expecting to charm
Trump into agreeing to remove the sanctions without North Korea having
to take any serious steps to denuclearization, even the simple step of
providing a list of weapons and missiles sites.
Kim Jong-un was trying to defraud Trump in the same way that his
father Kim Jong-il had defrauded President Bush. In 2008, the North
demolished a 60-foot-tall cooling tower to prove that it was ending
its nuclear development programs. In reaction, the Bush
administration agreed to remove all sanctions. As soon as they were
removed, North Korea immediately and openly resumed its nuclear and
ballistic missile development. They had completely defrauded and
humiliated the United States and the world.
There was no way that Trump would ever allow himself to be
defrauded in the same way. Since Trump is the expert in
the "Art of the Deal," we can only speculate what his strategy
was in presenting that letter to Kim. Trump had gone along
with Kim's "charm initiative" for over a year, which was characterized
by ambiguities in the meaning of the term "denuclearization."
Through these ambiguities, Trump had allowed Kim to become
hopeful that he could defraud Trump. Trump must have decided
that, at the Hanoi summit, Kim was thoroughly emotionally
committed to believing he could default Trump, and that the
time was right to apply the ultimate pressure to Kim.
Perhaps this strategy of applying maximum pressure at exactly the
right time will work, and Kim will feel he has no choice but to take
some real denuclearization step. As I've written many time,
I don't expect that, and there is nothing that will convince
Kim to end the program of developing nuclear weapons and
intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Trump's strategy will not work, but as I've said in the past,
I'm not going to criticize Trump for taking steps to try
to prevent World War III, even if World War III is 100% certain.
--- Sources:
-- The day North Korea talks collapsed, Trump passed Kim a note
demanding he turn over his nukes
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/30/with-a-p...apons.html
(CNBC/Reuters)
