Ex-defense secretary: U.S. ‘losing control’ of N. Korea crisis

[trof]

Perry warns of drift toward war

By Thomas E. Ricks And Glenn Kessler
THE WASHINGTON POST

Only last winter Perry publicly argued that the North Korea problem was controllable. Now, he said, he has grown to doubt that. “It was manageable six months ago if we did the right things,” he said. “But we haven’t done the right things.”
He added: “I have held off public criticism to this point because I had hoped that the administration was going to act on this problem, and that public criticism might be counterproductive. But time is running out, and each month the problem gets more dangerous.”
http://www.msnbc.com/news/939149.asp?0na=x22136J3-

From an online bio:
Shortly after President Clinton's reelection in November 1996, Perry made known his decision to step down as secretary. He spoke of his growing frustration over working with a Congress so partisan that it was harming the military establishment, and said that he did not think the results of the 1996 congressional election would decrease the partisanship.
http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/secdef_histories/bios/perry.htm

[berry]

1. This is scaring me to death!!

Frankly, I have no more faith in the intelligence re N Korea than I have re Iraq or Iran, but this STUPID Bush* gang is deciding the fate of millions of Koreans (N and S), and who knows what else. My god, they are going to make Korea policy while they are embroiled in their own meltdown?? They could NEVER be trusted, but now they are a 100 times more dangerous...

My one question--if only some journalist would force an answer to it!
WHY is it so impossible to hold bi-lateral talks and sign a non-aggression pact with N Korea? Why is this non-negotiable? (There was no peace treaty at the end of the Korean War, just a truce. Isn't it time? Consider how very very frightening it must be to have the US breathing down one's neck. They have every right to be terrified--until they get some reassurance that the US does NOT want to attack them.)

Actually, I'm not sure I agree with Perry. But at least he is raising a red flag. We really have to pay attention to this--now! So thank you, trof, for posting this!

[teryang]

3. The Chimp is the reason

<From his discussions, Perry has concluded the president simply won't enter into genuine talks with Pyongyang's Stalinist government. "My theory is the reason we don't have a policy on this, and we aren't negotiating, is the president himself," Perry said. "I think he has come to the conclusion that Kim Jong Il is evil and loathsome and it is immoral to negotiate with him.">

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56019-2003Jul14.html

[berry]

5. You think? I read Perry's theory too, but...

Would anyone argue that the Chimp made Iraq policy? Except for the personalization--the demonization of Saddam?

I don't doubt that Bush* is completely on board if the decision is made to attack N Korea, but I rather suspect there are some PNAC Asianists in the background who are thinking ahead to global strategization vs. China or some such.

If it were only the Chimp hating Kim Jong-il, I'd be a little more sanguine--because I think nobody wants to let Bush* handle foreign affairs on his own (especially now, with the Iraq fiasco so obvious).

[Braden]

2. Impeach Bush! now

http://news.yahoo.com/fc?tmpl=fc&cid=34&in=world&cat=north_korea


the unelected compassionate neo-con has done enough thank you very much.

[trof]

4. Well, blow me down!

I haven't gone invisible after all.
I was beginning to wonder.

[teryang]

6. It is almost a knee jerk response

...To consider the N.Koreans nuts and our enemy, after all they are communists and we fought them before.

Very few people take the trouble to follow the ins and outs of what is going on and the policy differences between Perry and the neocon nut cases. When you do you, see that there are real issues between the N.Koreans and our regime, like our failure to perform obligations of the Agreed Framework, which effectively disabled the N.Korean power grid, the unnegotiated status of IRBMs in N.Korea which they offered to negotiate on, and the virtual cut off of US food aid to the North, etc.

The neocons propose to intercept missile delieveries on the high seas referring to it as weapons smuggling but it is an entirely unregulated area. Seizure of NK missiles to Yemen recently was little more than piracy.

The Neocon strategy is to squeeze the North until it breaks. The economy is already completely collapsed. According to Perry this is a wrong and potentially very dangerous approach.