Not Worried About North Korea
Signal Sent, Message Not Heard
Yes, North Korea is sending a signal. Kim Jong Un isn't worried because he is smart enough to criticize Joe Biden.
Only a Test
The Wall Street Journal reports Trump Says Recent North Korean Missile Tests Didn’t Bother Him.
President Trump said he didn’t think North Korea’s missile tests were a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and acknowledged disagreement with his advisers.
“I view it differently,” Mr. Trump said Monday, speaking at a news conference with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The president said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “is looking to create a nation that has great strength economically.” He said recent small-missile tests by North Korea were possibly just an effort to get attention and that he wasn’t bothered by the tests.
On Saturday, national security adviser John Bolton said he thought the tests violated Security Council resolutions. At the news conference, Mr. Abe took the same view as Mr. Bolton.
Not Looking For Regime Change
After beating the war drums for weeks while demanding a regime change, Trump now says he is Not Looking to Topple Iranian Leadership.
Iran “has a chance to be a great country with the same leadership,’’ Trump said at a joint press conference in Tokyo on Monday alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. “We are not looking for regime change. I just want to make that clear.’’
“I’m not looking to hurt Iran at all. I’m looking to have Iran say no nuclear weapons,” Trump said. “No nuclear weapons for Iran and I think we will make a deal.’’
Trump’s remarks come amid fears that rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran could lead to miscalculations that would precipitate an armed conflict engulfing the Middle East. Frictions escalated this month after the U.S. said Tehran was planning an offensive against American interests in the region, then made a show of military force in the Gulf.
“The crux of the message by President Trump is that he doesn’t really want war with Iran, what he is trying to do is de-escalate the calls for war, ” said Fawaz A. Gerges, professor of Middle Eastern politics at the London School of Economics. His message “to the Islamic Republic is that his latest moves are all about deterrence and not war.’’
Iran Wants a Deal
Trump says Iran wants a deal. That's believable.
But the US already had a good deal. Our allies thought it was working. Even US intelligence thought it was working.
The main problem with it was Trump didn't negotiate the deal.
Perfect Solution in Plain Sight
Iran needs to criticize Joe Biden and praise Trump's negotiating skills.
