U.S. does not seek to topple the North Korean govt, says Rex Tillerson

[webfact]

Tillerson says U.S. wants North Korea dialogue 'at some point'

By David Brunnstrom

 

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attends a joint news conference with Qatar's foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Doha, Qatar, July 11, 2017. REUTERS/Naseem Zeitoon

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States does not seek to topple the North Korean government and would like dialogue with Pyongyang at some point, but only on the understanding that it can never be a nuclear power, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday.

 

Speaking to reporters at the State Department days after Pyongyang tested its second intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Tillerson reiterated that Washington sought to persuade North Korea to give up its missile and nuclear weapons programs through peaceful pressure.

 

"We do not seek a regime change, we do not seek a collapse of the regime, we do not seek an accelerated reunification of the peninsula, we do not seek an excuse to send our military north of the 38th Parallel," Tillerson said.

 

"We are not your enemy ... but you are presenting an unacceptable threat to us, and we have to respond. And we hope that at some point they will begin to understand that and we would like to sit and have a dialogue with them."

 

However, "a condition of those talks is there is no future where North Korea holds nuclear weapons or the ability to deliver those nuclear weapons to anyone in the region, much less the (U.S.) homeland," he said.

 

North Korea has vowed to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States and U.S. officials said the latest test had shown it may now be able to reach most of the country.

 

Tillerson repeated calls for North Korea's neighbour and ally China, which has urged a resumption of talks with Pyongyang, to use its influence to create the conditions for "productive dialogue."

 

He said other options were "not particularly attractive."

 

President Donald Trump's administration has said all options are on the table in dealing with North Korea, including military ones. However, given the potential for massive casualties from North Korean retaliation in allied South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops there, it has stressed the need for a diplomatic solution.

 

Earlier on Tuesday, a leading Republican senator, Lindsey Graham, said Trump had told him he was willing to go to war with North Korea "if they continued to try to hit America with an ICBM."

 

"He's told me that. I believe him. If I were China, I would believe him, too, and do something about it. You can stop North Korea, militarily or diplomatically," he said on NBC's "Today Show."

 

"There is a military option: To destroy North Korea's programme and North Korea itself," Graham said. "I prefer the diplomatic approach. But they will not be allowed to have a missile to hit America with a nuclear weapon on top."

 

Asked about Graham's remarks, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders reiterated that the administration was "keeping all options on the table."

 

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by James Dalgleish)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-02

[Grouse]

Smart move.

 

Paving the way for limited strike I think!

[Skywalker69]

Lindsey Graham: Trump “told me” he will bomb North Korea if it keeps testing missiles

 

On Tuesday morning, Sen. Lindsey Graham said that President Trump is willing to go to war with North Korea to stop it from being able to hit the American mainland with a nuclear weapon.

“There is a military option: to destroy North Korea’s nuclear program and North Korea itself,” Graham told the Today show’s Matt Lauer. “He’s not going to allow — President Trump — the ability of this madman [Kim Jong Un] to have a missile that could hit America.

 

https://www.vox.com/world/2017/8/1/16075198/trump-lindsey-graham-north-korea-war

[craigt3365]

Seems reasonable.  His comment is spot on:

Quote

"We are not your enemy ... but you are presenting an unacceptable threat to us, and we have to respond. And we hope that at some point they will begin to understand that and we would like to sit and have a dialogue with them."

 

Sadly, dialogue has been going on for decades with no success.

[Skywalker69]

The costs of a Korean war are nearly inconceivable

 

https://www.vox.com/world/2017/8/1/16075198/trump-lindsey-graham-north-korea-war

[vandv]

you better arm yourself to the teeth unless you want to end up like kadaffi or saddam

[tonray]

38 minutes ago, Skywalker69 said:

The costs of a Korean war are nearly inconceivable

 

https://www.vox.com/world/2017/8/1/16075198/trump-lindsey-graham-north-korea-war

Why would Lindsey Graham and Donald trump care about the costs of a war...you heard Trump...if people die, it's going to be over there. Just like Iraq made us safer today, right ?

 

I truly believe that the only way to defuse this situation is to encourage S. Korea and Japan to build up their conventional military forces to a point where China gets concerned. Even then, doubtful anything will change with ruling family still in charge in DPRK.

 

We should encourage and fund a massive conventional weapons buildup in Japan and S. Korea as a bulwark against NK aggression. Only thing that will keep them in line is keeping them scared. Continue to build out ant-missile tech, which China hates because its location also lessens China's offensive capability. At some point, Fat boy will not survive, even if China has to do it themselves.

Edited August 2, 2017 by tonray

[tonray]

Just now, vandv said:

you better arm yourself to the teeth unless you want to end up like kadaffi or saddam

...or Comey

[over it]

Just bomb the fuch already! I'm getting tired of reading it in the press day in and day out! You know what needs to be done. Get on with it!

[Morch]

3 hours ago, tonray said:

Why would Lindsey Graham and Donald trump care about the costs of a war...you heard Trump...if people die, it's going to be over there. Just like Iraq made us safer today, right ?

 

I truly believe that the only way to defuse this situation is to encourage S. Korea and Japan to build up their conventional military forces to a point where China gets concerned. Even then, doubtful anything will change with ruling family still in charge in DPRK.

 

We should encourage and fund a massive conventional weapons buildup in Japan and S. Korea as a bulwark against NK aggression. Only thing that will keep them in line is keeping them scared. Continue to build out ant-missile tech, which China hates because its location also lessens China's offensive capability. At some point, Fat boy will not survive, even if China has to do it themselves.

 

Start an arms race in order to counter an arms race....yeah, that'd work.

[tonray]

32 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Start an arms race in order to counter an arms race....yeah, that'd work.

Since the alternative clearly has not worked and war is being discussed, it is the safest option yet. Keeping in mind that deterrence has served the world now well for nearly 70 years.

[Morch]

Just now, tonray said:

Since the alternative clearly has not worked and war is being discussed, it is the safest option yet. Keeping in mind that deterrence has served the world now well for nearly 70 years.

 

What "alternative" did not work? War is periodically discussed, and it's been this way for years on end - without an actual war taking place. So from this bark-no-bite, how's going full arms race an improvement? Deterrence seems to be working just fine as it is.

[quadperfect]

7 hours ago, Grouse said:

Smart move.

 

Paving the way for limited strike I think!

Agree with that. Crossing the t and dotting the i

[Saladin]

A war on China's doorstep would have unimaginable consequences for the whole world, and further dialogue with the North Korean whackos would just give them more time to develop their weapons. It seems apparent that the only course of action is regime change by a military coup, or fomenting of a popular uprising. I wouldn't even mind seeing China taking over and getting its satellite onto an enlightened track but I think that is highly unlikely.

[dunroaming]

5 hours ago, over it said:

Just bomb the fuch already! I'm getting tired of reading it in the press day in and day out! You know what needs to be done. Get on with it!

Good enough reason I guess if you are tired of reading about it in the press.  Can't have that can we.  I am tired of hearing about Trump's ludicrous tweets everyday, can we bomb him as well? 

[Rancid]

Hang on, isn't that what they also told Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen, half of Sth America and Vietnam. Why do these paranoid N Koreans not believe?

[baboon]

27 minutes ago, Rancid said:

Hang on, isn't that what they also told Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen, half of Sth America and Vietnam. Why do these paranoid N Koreans not believe?

Ah, but we didn't SEEK it, you see, we were forced into it. Not our fault. Never our fault...

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, Rancid said:

Hang on, isn't that what they also told Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen, half of Sth America and Vietnam. Why do these paranoid N Koreans not believe?

No.  That's not what was said.  Completely different.

[Scott]

Off-topic, conspiracy post removed.  

[hawker9000]

17 hours ago, tonray said:

Why would Lindsey Graham and Donald trump care about the costs of a war...you heard Trump...if people die, it's going to be over there. Just like Iraq made us safer today, right ?

 

I truly believe that the only way to defuse this situation is to encourage S. Korea and Japan to build up their conventional military forces to a point where China gets concerned. Even then, doubtful anything will change with ruling family still in charge in DPRK.

 

We should encourage and fund a massive conventional weapons buildup in Japan and S. Korea as a bulwark against NK aggression. Only thing that will keep them in line is keeping them scared. Continue to build out ant-missile tech, which China hates because its location also lessens China's offensive capability. At some point, Fat boy will not survive, even if China has to do it themselves.

Disagree.  A military build-up by S. Korea and Japan??  Such a build-up would only further encourage fatboy by feeding his paranoia (and his thug sympathizers would likely even agree!).  Since most of the world isn't going to cotton to the idea of S. Korea and Japan going nuclear themselves, that pretty much leaves ballistic missile defense as the only peaceable solution.   And of course even that's causing fatboy to have kittens.  So fatboy isn't giving Trump any options.  Too bad Trump's predecessor let this happen.

 

 

[dunroaming]

1 hour ago, hawker9000 said:

Too bad Trump's predecessor let this happen.

This way precedes Obama.  Anyway China decides the fate of North Korea, not the USA.