This web browser is the fastest ever used, it is lightning speed - Carbon web browser

[rooster59]

New twist to diplomatic dance: Trump says North Korea summit now on

By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland

 

North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol talks with U.S. President Donald Trump as they walk out of the Oval Office after a meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 1, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Friday an unprecedented nuclear arms summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that the United States pulled out of will now go ahead as scheduled on June 12 in Singapore, adding another twist to a high-stakes diplomatic dance.

 

After giving North Korea's former intelligence chief the rare honour of a meeting in the White House Oval Office, Trump dampened expectations for a breakthrough at the summit, which U.S. officials want to use to press Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons arsenal.

 

"I think it's probably going to be a very successful, ultimately a successful process," Trump told reporters on the White House lawn.

 

Trump described the Singapore summit as the start of a process and not the place where the two leaders were likely to sign any agreement, a stark contrast to his previous insistence that the summit had to yield real progress toward North Korea's denculearisation.

 

"It'll be a beginning. I don't say, and I've never said, it happens in one meeting," Trump added.

 

His comments represented an extraordinary change in tone toward North Korea from a president who last year threatened to rain "fire and fury" on the country because of the threat its nuclear weapons and missiles pose to the United States.

 

Trump even backed away from the words "maximum pressure" that his administration had used to describe its approach to North Korea, combining the toughest-ever U.S. and international economic sanctions with diplomatic actions and the Republican president's military threats and preparations.

 

"We're getting along, so it's not a question of maximum pressure," Trump said. "At some point, hopefully ... for the good of millions of people, a deal will be worked out."

 

"Frankly, I said, 'Take your time,'" added Trump, describing his conversation with visiting Kim Yong Chol, a close aide to the North Korean leader.

 

Trump said it could take several meetings to reach an agreement.

 

The envoy, who has been linked by U.S. intelligence to a high-profile cyber attack on Sony Pictures in 2014, delivered a letter from Kim Jong Un to Trump. A senior White House official said Trump had read the letter but there was no word yet on the contents.

 

END TO KOREA WAR?

 

Trump said one thing that could come out of the summit was an agreement formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War, which was concluded only with a truce, not a peace treaty.

 

"We are going to discuss it prior to the meeting. That's something that could come out of the meeting," Trump said when asked if a document ending the war was bring prepared. 

 

Trump said North Korea's human rights record was not discussed at the meeting.

 

North Korea, whose nuclear ambitions have been a source of tension for decades, has made advances in missile technology in recent years but Trump has sworn not to allow it to develop nuclear missiles that could hit the United States.

 

He wants North Korea to "denuclearize," meaning to get rid of its nuclear arms, in return for relief from economic sanctions. But the leadership in Pyongyang is believed to regard nuclear weapons as crucial to its survival and has rejected unilaterally disarming.

 

Trump abruptly called off the summit on May 24, citing North Korea's "tremendous anger and open hostility" after Pyongyang sharply criticized U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton.

 

"I cancelled it in response to a very tough statement, and I think we're over that, totally over that," Trump said on Friday.

 

Wall Street took word from Trump that the summit was back on in stride. The S&P 500 <.SPX> added slightly to what were already healthy gains, then slipped back a few points to remain up 0.9 percent in afternoon trade. The U.S. dollar index <.DXY> added modestly to a gain.

 

OVAL OFFICE MEETING

 

The North Korean envoy, Kim Yong Chol, was the highest level figure from the reclusive country to hold talks at the White House since a senior envoy visited former President Bill Clinton in 2000. He is vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee.

 

Trump met him in the Oval Office for about 90 minutes. The pair could be seen chatting on the White House grounds following the meeting. Trump patted him on the arm and walked him to his vehicle.

 

Kim Yong Chol once served as a bodyguard to the current leader's father, Kim Jong Il, and was previously chief of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a top North Korean military intelligence agency.

 

In 2015, then U.S. director of national intelligence, James Clapper, described Kim Yong Chol as "the guy who ultimately would have to okay the cyber attack against Sony" in 2014.

 

Alleged North Korean hackers infiltrated Sony's systems and destroyed computers and laptops, apparently in retaliation for the entertainment company's comedy movie "The Interview" that parodied North Korea's leadership.

 

Kim Yong Chol has featured at the top or high up in lists of North Korean officials targeted by U.S. Treasury sanctions, including for supporting his country's nuclear and missiles programs and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

 

He was also targeted by the Treasury Department over the cyber attack. He was granted special permission to travel to the United States for meetings this week with top U.S. officials, the State Department said.

 

He was accused by South Korea of masterminding deadly attacks on a South Korean navy ship and an island in 2010. North Korea denied any involvement in either incident.

 

Aaron David Miller, a foreign policy expert at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington and a former Middle East negotiator for Republican and Democratic U.S. administrations, called Trump's announcement "a real intel win" for North Korea.

 

Miller tweeted that Trump had agreed to "a risky summit without anything in his pocket" from Kim.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-06-02

[Kelsall]

Nobody despises Trump more than I do.  But if he pulls this off, it's going to be hard to run him out of office.

[scorecard]

 

Quote:

 

"Trump abruptly called off the summit on May 24, citing North Korea's "tremendous anger and open hostility" after Pyongyang sharply criticized U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton.

 

I cancelled it in response to a very tough statement, and I think we're over that, totally over that," Trump said on Friday."

 

The clown has such a short memory about his own strong and insulting comments. 

 

 

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, Kelsall said:

Nobody despises Trump more than I do.  But if he pulls this off, it's going to be hard to run him out of office.

 

Point taken.

 

I wonder if Mr. Un has realized that his country is headed towards mass starvation and/or will never be an economic powerhouse or even enjoy even very simple economic success if they continue the same way, with the same attitudes,  and he needs to change his stance and gain some outside support, in many forms.

 

Trump, well given his past track record is he going to suddenly lose control at some point and make his usual non helpful and less than credible outbursts?

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2018 by scorecard

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, Kelsall said:

But if he pulls this off, it's going to be hard to run him out of office.

Trump has downgraded the summit to a "Meet and Greet" meeting. A photo op.

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"It'll be a beginning. I don't say, and I've never said, it happens in one meeting,"

He never said it wouldn't happen in one meeting either.

What does Kim get - massive propaganda and possible further commitments from Trump without any concessions. Kim already got this without a price:

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Trump even backed away from the words "maximum pressure" that his administration had used to describe its approach to North Korea

Kim may also further "decouple" the US from South Korea and Japan by encouraging Trump to make instant unilateral decisions at the summit meeting.

Great opportunity or trap? 12 experts weigh in on the Trump-Kim summit.

https://www.vox.com/2018/3/9/17100510/trump-meet-kim-jong-un-north-korea-last-president

 

 

[Morch]

The BS never ends with this POTUS:

 

Trump admits he has not read a letter from Kim Jong-un right after saying it was ‘very nice’

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-kim-jong-un-meeting-north-korea-letter-white-house-summit-a8379796.html

[attrayant]

11 hours ago, Kelsall said:

Nobody despises Trump more than I do.  But if he pulls this off, it's going to be hard to run him out of office.

 

Right there you've set the bar essentially on the ground and all Trump has to do is step over it without tripping on his tie.  Pulls WHAT off?

 

What exactly needs to happen for us to say he pulled it off?

[Jingthing]

 
Right there you've set the bar essentially on the ground and all Trump has to do is step over it without tripping on his tie.  Pulls WHAT off?
 
What exactly needs to happen for us to say he pulled it off?

From Nobel Prize to participation trophy.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Jingthing]

The BS never ends with this POTUS:
 
Trump admits he has not read a letter from Kim Jong-un right after saying it was ‘very nice’
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-kim-jong-un-meeting-north-korea-letter-white-house-summit-a8379796.html

He's conditioned the public to expect constant B.S. and become totally numb to it. We're in dangerous territory now.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[attrayant]

Having said that, it appears that Trump continues to be one of the worst deal makers of all time.  Trump has made massive concessions with nothing in return from the North Koreans - and this is before we have even gotten to Singapore.  What's he going to give up when he actually gets to the negotiating table?  Worst negotiator ever.

 

• Two reversals on having a summit with no up-front concessions from NK.
• Without discussing it with military strategists, he remove the "maximum pressure" tactic that the Pentagon relies on (and which was his own position just months ago).
• Heaped praise on NK, calling them honorable
• Allowed them into the oval office without concession

 

If this were a chess game, Trump has already given up all his pawns and let the North Korean offensive pieces deep into US territory.

 

[Jingthing]

His reputation as a great negotiator is highly exaggerated. NK objectively needs this more but "trump" is acting like he needs it more. Because the meeting will be good reality TV and the ratings yuge.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Andaman Al]

The USA and Trump are being played like a violin. Remember when Trump let the Russians into the oval office and one was the chief spy recruiter? Well guess who he had in the oval office yesterday? The guy on the left in the photo above is head of the North Korean Intelligence Services and he was the mastermind behind starting the country's elite hacking unit (the number 1 hacking unit in the world!). This is the guy that masterminded the hacking of Sony's computers amongst other things and had the North Koreans send fake SWIFT messages to the Federal Reserve which resulted in them "stealing" 80 Mill USD from the Central Bank of Bangladesh. He was responsible for the attack that killed 40 S Korean sailors. He is a murderer and international cyber terrorist and DJT doesn't want to use 'maximum pressure' anymore as the relationship is coming along just fine!  HE was in the oval office for 1 hr 20 yesterday. A day when Trump claims that Canada, the UK and Europe are a threat to US National security.!!!

 

Get this frakking idiot out of the WhiteHouse for Gawds sake!

 

Watch this and try not to choke on your midnight sarnie. First 20 mins is enough. If it were not so serious it would be comedy gold central.

 

Sorry you have to click on the link. It's MSNBC and youtube won't embed the file.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQxnmqJCGWc

 

 

Edited June 2, 2018 by Andaman Al