Exclusive - Trump says 'major, major' conflict with North Korea possible, but seeks diplomacy

[webfact]

Exclusive - Trump says 'major, major' conflict with North Korea possible, but seeks diplomacy

By Stephen J. Adler, Steve Holland and Jeff Mason

REUTERS

 

   

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 27, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday a major conflict with North Korea is possible in the standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute.

 

"There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely," Trump told Reuters in an Oval Office interview ahead of his 100th day in office on Saturday.

 

Nonetheless, Trump said he wanted to peacefully resolve a crisis that has bedeviled multiple U.S. presidents, a path that he and his administration are emphasizing by preparing a variety of new economic sanctions while not taking the military option off the table.

"We'd love to solve things diplomatically but it's very difficult," he said.

 

In other highlights of the 42-minute interview, Trump was cool to speaking again with Taiwan's president after an earlier telephone call with her angered China. He also said he wanted South Korea to pay the cost of the U.S. THAAD anti-missile defence system, which he estimated at $1 billion.

 

He said he intended to renegotiate or terminate a U.S. free trade pact with South Korea because of a deep trade deficit with Seoul.Trump said he was considering adding stops to Israel and Saudi Arabia to a Europe trip next month, emphasizing he wanted to see an Israeli-Palestinian peace.

 

Trump said North Korea was his biggest global challenge. He lavished praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping for Chinese assistance in trying to rein in Pyongyang. The two leaders met in Florida earlier this month.

 

"I believe he is trying very hard. He certainly doesn’t want to see turmoil and death. He doesn’t want to see it. He is a good man. He is a very good man and I got to know him very well.

 

"With that being said, he loves China and he loves the people of China. I know he would like to be able to do something, perhaps it's possible that he can’t," Trump said.

 

'I HOPE HE'S RATIONAL'

 

Trump spoke just a day after he and his top national security advisers briefed U.S. lawmakers on the North Korean threat and one day before Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will press the United Nations Security Council on sanctions to further isolate Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs.

 

The Trump administration on Wednesday declared North Korea "an urgent national security threat and top foreign policy priority." It said it was focusing on economic and diplomatic pressure, including Chinese cooperation in containing its defiant neighbour and ally, and remained open to negotiations.

 

U.S. officials said military strikes remained an option but played down the prospect, though the administration has sent an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine to the region in a show of force.

 

Any direct U.S. military action would run the risk of massive North Korean retaliation and huge casualties in Japan and South Korea and among U.S. forces in both countries.

 

Trump, asked if he considered North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to be rational, said he was operating from the assumption that he is rational. He noted that Kim had taken over his country at an early age.

 

"He's 27 years old. His father dies, took over a regime. So say what you want but that is not easy, especially at that age.

 

"I'm not giving him credit or not giving him credit, I'm just saying that's a very hard thing to do. As to whether or not he's rational, I have no opinion on it. I hope he's rational," he said.

 

Trump, sipping a Coke delivered by an aide after the president ordered it by pressing a button on his desk, rebuffed an overture from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who told Reuters a direct phone call with Trump could take place again after their first conversation in early December angered Beijing.

 

China considers neighbouring Taiwan to be a renegade province.

 

"My problem is that I have established a very good personal relationship with President Xi," said Trump. "I really feel that he is doing everything in his power to help us with a big situation. So I wouldn’t want to be causing difficulty right now for him.

 

"So I would certainly want to speak to him first."

 

(Editing by Ross Colvin)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-04-28

[Andaman Al]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely," Trump told Reuters in an Oval Office interview ahead of his 100th day in office on Saturday.

He sounds as mad and unstable as Kim Jong ! 

 

Edited April 28, 2017 by Andaman Al

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

"I believe he is trying very hard. He certainly doesn’t want to see turmoil and death. He doesn’t want to see it. He is a good man. He is a very good man and I got to know him very well.

 

"With that being said, he loves China and he loves the people of China. I know he would like to be able to do something, perhaps it's possible that he can’t," Trump said.

Incredible this is the president of the United States speaking. 

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

"My problem is that I have established a very good personal relationship with President Xi," said Trump. "I really feel that he is doing everything in his power to help us with a big situation. So I wouldn’t want to be causing difficulty right now for him.

 

"So I would certainly want to speak to him first."

Man child speaks. 

[elgordo38]

Nothing to worry about till he hits 4 majors then the fan will hit the <deleted>. 

[mamypoko]

GOP - tax cuts for the wealthy and wars

[dunroaming]

Oh Donald when will you learn to just zip it.  This stupid rhetoric just makes you look more ridiculous than you really are, if that is possible. 

[Berkshire]

This whole N. Korea thing is a Godsend for Trump.  Because if everyone's asking about N. Korea, no one is asking about the Russian investigations.  Or his tax returns.  Or his conflicts of interest.  Or his failed healthcare bill.  Or his failed wall.  Or....oh nevermind. 

[dunroaming]

1 hour ago, Berkshire said:

This whole N. Korea thing is a Godsend for Trump.  Because if everyone's asking about N. Korea, no one is asking about the Russian investigations.  Or his tax returns.  Or his conflicts of interest.  Or his failed healthcare bill.  Or his failed wall.  Or....oh nevermind. 

Or the fact that after 100 days Trump has failed miserably and has the lowest rating of any American President of modern times.  He has managed to do one thing which was the bombing of the airbase in Syria and ironically it is the thing he said he wouldn't do in his campaign.  Well done Donald, true to form as ever!

[hawker9000]

4 hours ago, mamypoko said:

GOP - tax cuts for the wealthy and wars

Wingnuts - destruction of the middle class and endless appeasement

[ilostmypassword]

8 minutes ago, hawker9000 said:

Wingnuts - destruction of the middle class and endless appeasement

The middle class is being destroyed thanks to the massive transfer of wealth to the wealthiest.  Trump's proposed tax changes would turn a river into a flood.

[Fulwell53]

After electing reagan and dubya bush no one should be surprised that absolute head the balls can become president of the most powerful country in the world.

They have don themselves proud with this goon.

Lying and verbal backflips come as easy to him as breathing.

Those that have voted him in ( no not the putin supplied russian hackers ) will be the those worse off .

A Huge proportion will lose access to healthcare. The jobs he is going to get them will all be zero hours and < minimum wage. Lets face it moving manufacturing back to the usa from china and other low cost countries doesnt add up unless the owners are guaranteed cheap labour.

Who is going to buy a us made 1000 dollar fridge when china can land you a bigger and better one for half the price.

Gonna make america great again for ..... white supremacists

[Panda13]

So he just thought he would see what happened if he pushed the button on his desk, but all he got was a coke , not a nuke ! That would have ruffled his comb over.

[Andaman Al]

4 hours ago, Panda13 said:

So he just thought he would see what happened if he pushed the button on his desk, but all he got was a coke , not a nuke ! That would have ruffled his comb over.

Seriously, just think about it. A sitting President is of the mind-set that he probably thinks it is funny to have a 'red button' fitted on his desk that he presses several times a day to get a coke. I am convinced he thinks it is a funny idea and if you work in a normal office - maybe, but the President of the USA who everyone expressed concern about being in charge of the big 'red button'.   Dr Strangelove has nothing on this guy!! It is NOT funny Donald.

Edited April 28, 2017 by Andaman Al

[Andaman Al]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

He also said he wanted South Korea to pay the cost of the U.S. THAAD anti-missile defence system, which he estimated at $1 billion.

If I were S Korea I would tell POTUS to take everything US out of S Korea and go back to the USA. Take THAAD, take your ships and aircraft and the billions spent on US defence equipment. Trump is insane and clearly has NO idea about the strategic advantage S Korea gives to US troops and interests.

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, Andaman Al said:

If I were S Korea I would tell POTUS to take everything US out of S Korea and go back to the USA. Take THAAD, take your ships and aircraft and the billions spent on US defence equipment. Trump is insane and clearly has NO idea about the strategic advantage S Korea gives to US troops and interests.

If SK did indeed to that , NK would come marching across the border .

[Andaman Al]

3 minutes ago, sanemax said:

If SK did indeed to that , NK would come marching across the border .

No they wouldn't.

[sanemax]

4 minutes ago, Andaman Al said:

No they wouldn't.

The USA previously pulled out of SK in 1949, NK invaded SK in 1950, which led to the USA going back into SK and participating in the 1950 Korean war

   History could very well repeat itself

[onthesoi]

37 minutes ago, sanemax said:

The USA previously pulled out of SK in 1949, NK invaded SK in 1950, which led to the USA going back into SK and participating in the 1950 Korean war

   History could very well repeat itself

 

The US should have kept their noses out and let the Koreans sort it out for themselves.

 

See modern day North Vietnam for an indication of how that would have played out.

 

Sometimes it's actually better for good men to do nothing....sic

Edited April 28, 2017 by onthesoi

[hawker9000]

No they wouldn't.

Yes, they would.

[citybiker]

Oh dear....

It'll be interesting to see if China honours it word on ongoing NK 'sanctions'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39750240


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ilostmypassword]

8 hours ago, sanemax said:

If SK did indeed to that , NK would come marching across the border .

North Korean conventional forces are no match for South Korea's.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11603665/North-Korea-v-South-Korea-How-the-countries-armed-forces-compare.html

[sanemax]

6 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

North Korean conventional forces are no match for South Korea's.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11603665/North-Korea-v-South-Korea-How-the-countries-armed-forces-compare.html

Although we were talking about "The USA should get out of SK and take everything of theirs with them " and the report quoted above states 

"South Korea’s much smaller armed forces, by contrast, benefit from some of the best American-supplied weapons and equipment, including more than 2,000 tanks and hundreds of F5, F15 and F16 fighter jets and fighter bombers.

More importantly, it nestles under the US security umbrella, and there are 28,500 American troops permanently based in the South."

 

   So, if the USA were to leave SK and take everything with them, it could well leave NK in a superior military position

[ilostmypassword]

33 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Although we were talking about "The USA should get out of SK and take everything of theirs with them " and the report quoted above states 

"South Korea’s much smaller armed forces, by contrast, benefit from some of the best American-supplied weapons and equipment, including more than 2,000 tanks and hundreds of F5, F15 and F16 fighter jets and fighter bombers.

More importantly, it nestles under the US security umbrella, and there are 28,500 American troops permanently based in the South."

 

   So, if the USA were to leave SK and take everything with them, it could well leave NK in a superior military position

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11603665/North-Korea-v-South-Korea-How-the-countries-armed-forces-compare.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2017/04/11/how-north-and-south-koreas-armed-forces-compare-infographic/#26fde8db828b

The fact is that while North Korean conventional forces look impressive on paper, they are largely obsolete. In addition, in totalitarian nations run by paranoid rulers, officers and enlisted troops are definitely not encouraged to take the initiative. Finally, there is the question of logistics. North Korea simply doesn't have the economic strength to provide good losistic support.

In fact, an economy as tattered as North Korea's really can't sustain a modern armed force. which is why the nuclear weapons, the big equalizers.  

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, ilostmypassword said:

Finally, there is the question of logistics. North Korea simply doesn't have the economic strength to provide good losistic support.

In fact, an economy as tattered as North Korea's really can't sustain a modern armed force. which is why the nuclear weapons, the big equalizers.  

NK may see all of SK wealth and decide to go and take that ?

Like Saddam did with Kuwait

[ilostmypassword]

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

NK may see all of SK wealth and decide to go and take that ?

Like Saddam did with Kuwait

Kuwait was tiny and defenseless.  South Korea is far from that.

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, ilostmypassword said:

Kuwait was tiny and defenseless.  South Korea is far from that.

Yes, but we are talking about if the USA withdraws all of its defensives they have in SK and do not get involved in any conflict between the two Koreas

[ilostmypassword]

4 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Yes, but we are talking about if the USA withdraws all of its defensives they have in SK and do not get involved in any conflict between the two Koreas

Who says the US couldn't get involved again. In addition, one of the big, if not the biggest problem China has with the Korean situation is the presence of the US military in South Korea. I suspect that if America were to promise that it would withdraw from South Korea in exchange for China really cracking down on the North, a deal could be made. China really doesn't want a war on its border which would be a likely outcome of a North Korean attack on the South.

[Scott]

Off-topic, troll, bickering posts and replies removed.

 

Please stay on topic.