CNN: Senators: Little learned during rare all-hands North Korea briefing
(CNN)Nearly every US senator attended an unusual all-hands meeting on North Korea at the White House Wednesday, though afterward few said any new information emerged about the increasingly tense US standoff with Pyongyang.
Nonetheless, members of both parties said they were reassured by the hour-long administration update, which President Donald Trump appeared at only briefly before handing the session off to his top national security aides.
"It was a sobering briefing, and an important opportunity for the entire Senate to hear the emerging plans of the Trump administration to confront what is a very real threat to our security," said Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware.
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More News On The U.S. Senate Receiving A Briefing At The White House On North Korea
White House briefs senators on ‘very grave threat’ from North Korea -- Washington Post
Senators Told North Korea Nuclear Threat Is Urgent -- Washington Free Beacon
Senators hauled to White House for rare classified briefing -- Politico
Trump and top administration officials warn senators about the need to 'remove' the 'grave threat' posed by North Korea – as legislators decamp to the White House for unprecedented top-secret briefing on hot spot -- Daily Mail
Full Senate, in rare move, goes to White House grounds for classified North Korea briefing -- L.A. Times
The Senate Took a Bus Trip to the White House North Korea Briefing -- US News and World Report
Trump team softens war talk, vows other pressure on NKorea -- AP
Trump Administration: Military Preparations 'Underway' for North Korea -- TIME
U.S. says strategy on North Korea centers on sanctions, open to talks -- Reuters
It'll be interesting to see the no-show list.
ReplyDeleteA few senators were hurt racing out of the White House to provide color commentary kn the closed door briefing.
ReplyDeleteRSC,
ReplyDeleteYes it would.
JB,
Heh.
If anything it's been pretty quite across the spectrum of attendees.
Seems like its back to stratedgic patience, sanctions.negotiations back to obama again
ReplyDeleteFazman...maybe, but unlikely for long. North Korea is expected to be capable of hitting the west coast of the US in under 3 years. .. give or take a year or two for error margin, changes in effort etc. Trump/Pence know that a nuclear attack could happen during their term. They will not risk that. Hence north Korea (and everyone who wants diplomacy/sanctions) has got about a year left before there's no more path than the military one. So now is the time for all those geniuses to say how with diplomacy and pressure this will work out peacefully. It all depends on Kim...He either made a decision that he absolutely needs nukes for survival and believes the US are bluffing, or he just wants them as bargaining chip (old assessment).
ReplyDeleteWe'll see. But China has got to do more. If China doesn't - being the strongest player by far in the region and always pounding their chest about anything - it not only bears a lot of the responsibility but also losses credibility. So. ..China. .make your move, show us what you got or shut up / don't stand in the way / don't complain about the mess you caused with your deal making and economic support of North Korea. And Iran and Russia carry responsibility for supplying the technology to north Korea. They need to be held accountible too for this mess.
Anon,
ReplyDelete"Hence north Korea (and everyone who wants diplomacy/sanctions) has got about a year left before there's no more path than the military one."
I think it's less than a year, other than that I agree completely.
James - you might be right. I now want to hear all those pundits to actually name and shame China. The north Korean regime (and all the torturing and death camps, hard labour camps etc) are only still in place because China has been backing up the North Korean regime economically and politically, while calling on the US "to show restraint". If china wants to be friend - act like it. Don't help a regime that's torturing their own people and points a nuclear missile at us. I still think china was hoping the US would make a mistake and a missile would land on its soil - propelling China to be the undisputed world power. But think again, China - you caused the mess and we won't forget. Time to wipe it up.
ReplyDeleteSo if he does another nuke test and goads the u.s then diplomacy goes on the back burner?
DeleteSo if he does another nuke test and goads the u.s then diplomacy goes on the back burner?
DeleteFazman.. the US shouldn't be asked much longer to use diplomacy. Especially not by China!
DeleteImagine to be in the Americans'shoes and you try for decades to use diplomacy while another country (China) could have helped but instead supported the North Koreans financially and politically and in turn allowed them to buy nuclear tech from Iran and Russia. It's hypocrisy at its best. Did you see those videos the North Koreans released about engulfing the US and Washington in nuclear flames? That's no joke. And China still supports north Korea. The onus is on the Chinese in my opinion to stop the North Koreans peacefully. If China fails in doing so, tough luck - they'll have a failing state next door. Strategically this was a huge blunder by the Chinese and they will have to mop it up. It could easily - and still can - cause a massive war with millions of deaths and the potential of a nuclear attack on the US soil. What were the Chinese thinking? The Chinese are playing Monopoly with our lives.
I agree with you mate 100%, l sense that Kim is rattled that his bluster is largely being ignored and his poker face is betraying him.
DeleteBy all means keep negotiations going on via back door but nows the time to keep the military wild card waved in his face.
I would imagine that right now China is having a big internal debate on the merits of keeping Korea as is or engineering the removal of Kim. In the calculations they are weighing is NK worth having versus a reunified Korea. Can they have a reunified Korea (an essentially South Korea) right up to their border and influence it to China's benefit or would it infect China's population with dangerous ideas to the point of being a liability. Or a third possibility of a Kimless North with the North still in being as a political unit.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese have invested a lot of time, money, and politics in their South China Sea and Blue Water Navy projects, do they want an enhanced US military presence in the immediate area for the foreseeable future regardless of the pretext?
My guess is the third option would be attractive to them. Remove Kim and leave the NK state as is and hope for the best. It's quite possible Kim may not see even this coming monday. There are a lot of people inside and out of Korea with very good motivations to eliminate him. The big question will remain can he get one big one off?
WNU,
ReplyDeleteAs you have stated Kim's security apparatus would be formidable, but does he know that for sure? Can he really trust them or as I would bet right now, he trusts no one.
Kim must have made a lot of enemies even amongst his inner circle, l wouldnt put it past a coup in the confusion of war or a valkeryie style attempt backed and funded by china.
DeleteI think we're all a bit too forgiving when it comes to China. It was China who fought the US during the first Korean war and caused this split and it's China that's enabling the nuclear armament of North Korea. They would not allow a new nuclear state on their borders unless they were 100% sure to control it and it was in their interest. Now why would China want a state that's basically controlled by one man (and why I would argue that the MAD doctrine just doesn't apply here)?
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDelete" Now why would China want a state that's basically controlled by one man (and why I would argue that the MAD doctrine just doesn't apply here)?"
Don't know, but things can change. It's very possible that through complacency, pay off, intelligence apparatus corruption, and just plain misjudgement they didn't see this Kim as being mentally unbalanced (which I think he is) and that throws everything assumed before out the window.
The focus in the media is on what will the U.S. will do .... but I think we are missing the bigger picture .... and that is what will Japan/South Korea/China/and Russia do. I personally believe there is a general consensus among these powers that there must be regime change in North Korea .... the problem is the process/the time span/and what will replace Kim Jong-un. The Japanese clearly want him gone yesterday. The Russians have moved a large number of troops on their border with North Korea .... they do not want a million refugees fleeing to Vladivostok, and they are ready to close the border if they have to. The Chinese want him gone .... but there is still disagreement within Beijing on how to do this .... and when. The big surprise has been the South Koreans. The leading Presidential candidate for the upcoming election wants to resume talks with the North?!?!?! To me this is a dead end .... but this is what he is pushing. My prediction .... 2 or more nuclear tests, and a number of missile tests .... which I predict will happen in the next year or two .... and these 4 major powers in the region will then have consensus and they will quickly push for regime change ... both covertly and overtly. The U.S. will back this, but right now their hands are tied.
ReplyDelete