On North Korea, Diplomacy Is the Sensible Option

The Trump administration ’s approach to North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development has been almost exclusively an emphasis on military confrontation. The latest eruption of escalatory actions and rhetoric is in keeping with the norm.Following Pyongyang ’s successful testing of an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) this week, Trumpreferenced“some pretty severe things that we are thinking about” in response. Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, commander of U.S. forces in South Korean,warned ominously that “it would be a grave mistake for anyone” to doubt our willingness to use military force in response to North Korean “provocation.” UN Ambassador Nikki Haleysaid in a statement that we will use “our considerable military forces…if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction.” Finally, U.S. and South Korean forces “fired a barrage of guided-missiles into the ocean” off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, as ashow of force.Many Americans believe the hardline approach to North Korea is wise because peaceful negotiations, in Eli Lake ’swords, have been used by Pyongyang “to buy time and extract concessions from the West.” Diplomacy doesn’t work on the intransigent North Korea, we’re told.But that conflicts with the historical record. According to Stanford University ’sSiegfried S. Hecker, the record from the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrationsshows that“Pyongyang was willing to slow its drive ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs