Bush expresses frustration with diplomacy

[zimv20]

uh-oh (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060707/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush;_ylt=AgrkXDeF.kpnq.dbX35W6KWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--).


CHICAGO - President Bush expressed frustration Friday with the slow pace of diplomacy in dealing with North Korea and Iran and prodded world leaders to send an unmistakable message condemning Pyongyang's long-range missile test.

He said the U.S. would have had "a reasonable chance" of shooting down the missile if it had been necessary, though America's missile-defense system is still in the testing phase and its capabilities are modest. More than $100 billion has been spent on the system since 1983.

[...]

"And it's, kind of — you know, it's kind of painful in a way for some to watch, because it takes a while to get people on the same page," Bush said. "Not everybody thinks the exact same way we think. Different words mean different things to different people. And the diplomatic processes can be slow and cumbersome."

[...]

He ruled out direct talks between just the U.S. and North Korea and said he hoped the six-party talks would resume.

"My judgment is you can't be successful if the United States is sitting at the table alone with North Korea. You run out of options very quickly if that's the case," he said. "In order to be successful diplomatically it's best to have other partners at the table"

this doesn't look horribly promising. and **** him for using my city as a base for his thinly-veiled bellicose messages.

[scem0]

not too surprising he'd say such things. "Peace" is "cumbersome" and "slow"... If we "attack" the "enemy insurgents" then the American people are "safer". I have a "hot dog" "stuck" in my "butt". :rolleyes:


e

[skunk]

I have a "hot dog" "stuck" in my "butt"."TMI".

[CorvusCamenarum]

I wagered the girlfriend today $5 that Bush would pull an Iraq in North Korea by the time he's out of office.

[skunk]

I wagered the girlfriend today $5 that Bush would pull an Iraq in North Korea by the time he's out of office.He's been pulling something for years. Didn't know it was called "an Iraq", though.

[CorvusCamenarum]

He's been pulling something for years. Didn't know it was called "an Iraq", though.

It wasn't, up until just recently, when I coined the term ;) I'm guessing he'll do whatever he can to get a military presence in NK, and just leave it for the next guy to clean up. I'm theorizing his answer to the Iraq problem is much the same, i.e. leave someone else holding the bag.

[OutThere]

Well isn't it convenient that we've spent years doodling around in the middle east while a real threat was building, and only now, once they've started testing their missiles, do we start the 'slow and cumbersome' process of diplomacy.

Gawd. I don't even want to imagine what will happen once Bush has an ADD fit and decides to play in an extraordinarily strongly-led (if in the wrong direction...), well organized country that has nuclear weapons...

Never mind that North Korea has a total military force (standing+reserves+paramilitary) more than 2 times larger than that of the U.S, and none of them are blundering about in the middle east...

[MACDRIVE]

Tell me if I'm wrong, but isn't the reason why Bush hasn't attacked NK is because they have no oil and are pretty much useless to the U.S.?

[Ugg]

Tell me if I'm wrong, but isn't the reason why Bush hasn't attacked NK is because they have no oil and are pretty much useless to the U.S.?

No, because the PRK has nukes.

[zimv20]

Tell me if I'm wrong, but isn't the reason why Bush hasn't attacked NK is because they have no oil and are pretty much useless to the U.S.?
things haven't gone as planned. in PNAC's pax americana, i believe they thought knocking off iraq would be a 6 month affair, giving them momentum to take out iran and then on to NK in term #2.

but it's gone horribly wrong, obviously. i reckon they truly believed that either world opinion would be on their side, or the world would be so terrified of the US that they'd all go along anyway.

let's just hope they don't get desperate and decide to do something rash.

[toontra]

things haven't gone as planned. in PNAC's pax americana, i believe they thought knocking off iraq would be a 6 month affair, giving them momentum to take out iran and then on to NK in term #2.


Quite possibly. But nothing has been learned. Bush now says diplomacy is a "cumbersome" and "slow" process. Not if it's compared to the failed military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan it isn't!

[Thomas Veil]

Click. (http://users.adelphia.net/~tjveil/sounds/World.mp3) ;)

[IJ Reilly]

let's just hope they don't get desperate and decide to do something rash.

Maybe we should pool our resources and send Bush a full case of Calamine lotion.

[zimv20]

Maybe we should pool our resources and send Bush a full case of Calamine lotion.
just itching to unleash a pun, eh?

[IJ Reilly]

just itching to unleash a pun, eh?

No, scratch that idea.

[zimv20]

No, scratch that idea.
okay, just asking.

[IJ Reilly]

Looks like we salved another of the world's problems.

[Thomas Veil]

:rolleyes: [Babylon 5] This is the kind of conversation that can end only in a gunshot. [/Babylon5]

[zimv20]

Looks like we salved another of the world's problems.
but we didn't -- there's the rub.

[skunk]

Don't think about it, just enjoy the balmy evening air.

[adk]

Page two of the news, Bush Expresses Frustration with "That Danged Rubik's Cube"

[skunk]

Page two of the news, Bush Expresses Frustration with "That Danged Rubik's Cube"...and invades it.

[CorvusCamenarum]

Page two of the news, Bush Expresses Frustration with "That Danged Rubik's Cube"

Hey be nice...those 2x2 minicubes can be dash tricky to solve. ;)

[aquajet]

Don't think about it, just enjoy the balmy evening air.

Indeed. Top it off with a cone of ice cream, and I can think of nothing more soothing.

[mactastic]

Well isn't it convenient that we've spent years doodling around in the middle east while a real threat was building, and only now, once they've started testing their missiles, do we start the 'slow and cumbersome' process of diplomacy.
And let's not forget that NK has had 4 years now where they have had little fear of an American military response, knowing that our military would be busy in Iraq. Bush's war of choice in Iraq has gutted our military and left us with precious few options in the event of a NK military adventure.

And to top that off, BushCo essentially ignored North Korea for several years when they were too busy campaigning for support to invade what was billed as the ACTUAL threat: Iraq.

And to think about all the times I've had to listen to righties claim that Clinton hollowed out the military...

[solvs]

Bush's war of choice in Iraq has gutted our military and left us with precious few options in the event of a NK military adventure.
Or Iran for that matter. And I doubt people are going to be willing to sign up in droves for another poorly planned war. Nor are some of those already in the military. I have a friend who'll be out in 8 months and not only will he not reup, but he's actively telling others not to join. My cousin left the Marines and couldn't wait to get out. I'm sure there will be some people to replace them, but not nearly enough to defend ourselves against NK, or even stop Iran. Especially since, thanks to our screw ups in Iraq, we'd be pretty much alone in that fight. We can do nothing but cast empty threats.

Hopefully, NK and Iran are doing the same.