NBC NEWS and the Wall Street Journal are reporting that North Korea is ramping up production of its nuclear arsenal.
Multiple US intelligence agencies have determined that North Korea is increasing its production of uranium at multiple secret sights; a violation of the historic agreement signed mere weeks ago in which the regime agreed to “work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
You may recall that Donald Trump returned home from the Singapore Summit trumpeting his negotiating prowess via twitter at bringing an end to the North Korean nuclear threat:
“Just landed-a long trip, but everyone can feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea…Sleep tight!”
Indeed!
That North Korea is cheating on this “agreement” should come as no surprise to anyone. North Korea has been making and breaking promises about “denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula” for decades. This is simply the first time that the regime found a president gullible enough to believe that this time it might be different.
Kim understood Trump’s narcissistic need for self-aggrandizement and played him for the fool he is. Kim left Singapore with the legitimizing photo-op he desired; a handshake with the American president that would raise his stature on the international stage. In exchange Trump got nothing save the charade of a signing ceremony trumpeting a meaningless unverifiable promise. That Trump inexplicably threw in the cessation of critical joint military exercises with South Korea, long a bone of contention in the North, while getting nothing in return, only serves to highlight the level of incompetence Trump brought to the negotiating table.
What we have here is geopolitical malpractice at the highest level. Clearly, the North Korean nuclear threat is not over. Trump got played. Either Trump is too ignorant to understand the seriousness of the situation or he is intentionally lying to the American people once again.
Later this month Trump heads to Helsinki for a summit with Vladimir Putin. Trump has publicly floated the idea of dismantling NATO, pulling the US out of the WTO, pulling US troops out of Germany and Poland, welcoming Russia back into the G-8 and certifying Russia’s annexation of Crimea. All of which will weaken American interests on the world stage. All music to Putin’s ears.
Putin will arrive in Helsinki well briefed and armed with the guile honed from years as a KGB operative. Trump will arrive with little if any preparation baring only his gut instincts and the dangerously erroneous belief that Putin is his friend. What could possibly go wrong?
Sleep tight, America.
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