North Korea’s Unsurprising Actions
I apparently have to clarify an important point. No one should be entirely surprised that North Korea has detonated a bomb. Kim Jong Il launches a missile or detonates a bomb whenever he wants attention or aid from the United States. He tested a bomb back in 2006, and also launched a missile in April. The detonation of this latest bomb does not somehow de-crazy the rest of John Bolton’s Wall Street Journal column from last week in which he orders Obama to “put down Kim Jong Il’s script.” Whatever that means. One presumes he means to “get tough.” Whatever that means.
Bolton’s column is still illogical and useless because he doesn’t propose specific solutions to the North Korea problem. Furthermore, he links North Korea to Iran, resurrecting the disastrous sound bite, the “axis of evil.” North Korea is an insulated country controlled by a despot, and Iran is a state that longs to utilize nuclear power, and does not necessarily desire to blow up Israel as Fareed Zakaria recently wrote in Newsweek.
Second, Bolton’s solutions to the North Korea problem are vague. We know he doesn’t think diplomacy will work, but what is the next step? A full ground invasion? See: Iraq and Afghanistan for how that will play out.
Certain Neoconservative apologists act as though Bolton is somehow blessed with amazing prescience at his ability to predict this latest nuclear test. But this is typical behavior from Kim. Instead of congratulating Bolton on making a fairly obvious prediction, the next question is: what do we do?
Of course, Bolton is not the right man to ask. His credibility has been torn to shreds because he spins intelligence reports to suit his own political agenda. Bolton played a major role in including the statement that British Intelligence had determined Iraq attempted to procure yellowcake uranium from Niger in George W. Bush’s 2003 State of the Union Address. That erroneous statement is considered a key piece of “intelligence” that ultimately led the country to war.
Bolton has even lied about Iran in the past. In a 2004 testimonial before Congress, Bolton stated, “Another unmistakable indicator of Iran’s intentions is the pattern of repeatedly lying to … the IAEA … when evidence of uranium enriched to 36 percent was found, it attributed this to contamination from imported centrifuge parts.” Isotope analysis later came forth that supported Iran’s explanation: foreign contamination accounted for most of the observed enriched uranium.
On this Memorial Day, let us remember that John Bolton and other Bush apologists lied in order to lead the country to war. Around five thousand American soldiers, and untold numbers of civilians, are now dead because of the lies told by Bolton and other Bush officials.
Given their track records of lying to the public, we should never again let Bolton and Company dictate the nation’s foreign policy decisions.
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why is it so difficult to admit that you made a foolish mistake? digging deeper would not change the facts: Bolton was right, you were wrong… admit it and move on…
My original thesis was that John Bolton should not advise anyone on diplomacy when he has been repeatedly accused of “[spinning] intelligence to support his views and political objectives on a number of occasions.” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61304-2005Apr17.html)
I never said North Korea would never test a weapon again because clearly that is Kim Jon Il’s only strategy in dealing with the rest of the planet. He’s a despot, so he uses brute strength and displays of violence to scare his subordinates and other countries.
However, I still maintain that Bolton has been thoroughly discredited. I don’t know if you saw my comment below, but here are other examples of how he misled the public:
In a 2004 testimonial before Congress, Bolton stated, “Another unmistakable indicator of Iran’s intentions is the pattern of repeatedly lying to … the IAEA … when evidence of uranium enriched to 36 percent was found, it attributed this to contamination from imported centrifuge parts.” Isotope analysis later came forth that supported Iran’s explanation: foreign contamination accounted for most of the observed enriched uranium. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/22/AR2005082201447.html)
After September 11, Bolton claimed Sudan was pursuing germ warfare, a claim the CIA never supported. (http://www.boston.com/news/world/africa/articles/2005/04/29/in_citing_sudan_dangers_bolton_went_beyond_cia/)
The list goes on and on. Bolton has repeatedly lied and spun intelligence to support his own ideologies. Additionally, he and his apologists do not propose a specific strategy for how to deal with North Korea. They simply dismiss Obama’s approach without clearly defining what a solution would be. Bolton’s history leads me to believe he prefers the “act first, think later” approach, which hasn’t exactly worked out. See: Iraq and Afghanistan.
In response to another comment. See in context »When you get to the bottom of a hole it’s always good to stop digging. Bolton was right. Why not just admit it and move on to discussion of solutions?
As far as specificity, what is Obama going to do…specifically? Will his response be to leave this up to the UN? They are going to pass another resolution condemning NK’s violation of previous resolution. A UN resolution…oh the horra!
[...] I maybe misreading the strength of her convictions. But it’s never a good sign when you feel compelled to elaborate on your original thesis – all over again – in a comment to your follow-up piece. [...]
You are a despicable and pathetic joke. The childish remarks you make perfectly clarify your ignorance. As a American military veteran, on this Memorial Day, it’s people like you that make many US Veterans vomit.
[...] In an earlier post, I noted how one Huffington Post blogger, Allison Kilkenny, had called John Bolton “crazy” just five days ago for warning that North Korea was on the verge of another nuclear test. I wondered whether there would be an apology in light of the North Korean’s nuclear test last night, and the answer is no apology. [...]
Nice choice of words: “repeatedly accused”. Let’s dig a little deeper into one of the accusations…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3872201.stm
So Saddam did seek and actually procure yellow cake…tons of it…
Bolton and the 16 words: TRUE.
What did the IAEA say about nukes in Iraq, just 1 day before Bush’s SOTU address?
IAEA statement: “No evidence (in Iraq) of ongoing prohibited nuclear or nuclear-related activities (nor) signs of new nuclear facilities or direct support to any nuclear activity”
IAEA: LIARS or INCOMPETENT
Either way citing IAEA evidence doesn’t do much to help your argument.
I just re-read your HuffPo post. You’re spinning like a top, Allison. And how could you possibly say we ignore Kim detonating nukes, when we know he’ll sell them eventually to the highest bidder, including Al Qaeda?
And why is it you think everyone on the right just wants to unleash the dogs of war? We can squeeze NK with blockades and cutoff of aid, and all we have to do to Iran is cut off their refined gasoline which they must import. See how fast THAT brings Iran to a dead stop, rioting and an insurrection! And all without a shot fired.
I’m sure even that’s far too harsh for you, though. You’d rather talk, as if it’s accomplished anything with North Korea in sixty years, or Iran in thirty.
I am in agreement with USArmyVet. It is because of liberals like you who would prefer to do absolutely nothing but talk, and share tea and finger cookies with mortal enemies, that always wind up getting the most people killed. Chamberlain overlooking Hitler’s horrorshows in hopes of peace. Clinton giving Al Qaeda a total pass through eight years of attacks, not to mention trading a Michael Jordan basketball for Yongbyon!
Even Clinton wanted to bomb Yongbyon before it went hot, until a very Allison Kilkenny-like Jimmy Carter intervened with his ‘diplomacy’ that led us straight to where we are today! Does that make WJC a NeoCon psycho?
I’d say more, but I’m sure bloggers like me and USArmyVet will lining up today to rip your head off. I’ll let them have some fun too! If anyone looks like a total fool now, it’s not Bolton, that’s for sure!
Why are you lot defending John Bolton?, one of the most undiplomatic-diplomats to come out of the US. You don’t have to be a genius to work out that Bolton is lying straight to our faces, and it’s not even in hindsight.
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yabiaomer: “why is it so difficult to admit that you made a foolish mistake? digging deeper would not change the facts: Bolton was right, you were wrong… admit it and move on…”
brenthinkle: “When you get to the bottom of a hole it’s always good to stop digging. Bolton was right. Why not just admit it and move on to discussion of solutions?”
I don’t know which issue you two think John Bolton got right and Allison Kilkenny got wrong, I take it both the recent North Korea issue. Is Bolton right to incite on another WMD goose chase like Iraq on DPRK?, Saddam Hussein might have an absolute a-hole like Kim Jong Il, but yet George W Bush and gang authorised just as draconian and totalitarian programs such as even more torture (don’t sugarcoat it as EITs) cells foreign and domestic, and the ‘false advertising’-USA PATRIOT Act, Bush and Friends get to wal about freely.
brenthinkle: “As far as specificity, what is Obama going to do…specifically? Will his response be to leave this up to the UN? They are going to pass another resolution condemning NK’s violation of previous resolution. A UN resolution…oh the horra!”
As far specifically as us general populace don’t have the underlying diplomatic relations but starting another war is hardly the right thing to do, cos ‘little Kim’ is a stubborn brat riding on Daddy Kim Il-Sung’s coat tail and trying to flex muscle in a just as silly a fashion as the US.
monsewage: “Nice choice of words: “repeatedly accused”. Let’s dig a little deeper into one of the accusations…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3872201.stm
So Saddam did seek and actually procure yellow cake…tons of it…”
“1.77 tons of enriched uranium” isn’t a heck of radioactive material to run a proper nuclear weapons program especially in yellowcake form. Heck Lehman Brothers easily got hold of 200 tons of yellowcake.
themadking: “I just re-read your HuffPo post. You’re spinning like a top, Allison. And how could you possibly say we ignore Kim detonating nukes, when we know he’ll sell them eventually to the highest bidder, including Al Qaeda?”
No, because little Kim don’t give a shit about anyone else except himself; not the citizens of North Korea, not neighbour South Korea, not ‘buddy’-China, not east Asia, not any one; why the hell would he be even bothered with Al Qaeda. Just him, himself and his dick measuring contest with himself.
themadking: “And why is it you think everyone on the right just wants to unleash the dogs of war? We can squeeze NK with blockades and cutoff of aid, and all we have to do to Iran is cut off their refined gasoline which they must import. See how fast THAT brings Iran to a dead stop, rioting and an insurrection! And all without a shot fired.”
Because imposing sanctions on countries don’t work, and especially as hell don’t work on a forcing the hand of a totalitarian head of state who without a doubt would take from its citizens to feed the military and with the usual propaganda blaming foreigners. Aid linked sanctions are always a bad idea, it’s just as destructive and offensive to besiege a country’s citizens.
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And John Bolton is still crazy.