Rex Tillerson: U.S. Will Talk With N.K. W/O Preconditions, What Does Trump Say?

Rex Tillerson: U.S. Will Talk With N.K. W/O Preconditions, What Does Trump Say?

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In a bombshell announcement from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the United States is prepared to establish talks with North Korea without demanding nuclear disarmament be part of the discussion. If true, this is a radical departure from the position the Trump administration has maintained as a prerequisite to moving forward on anything with North Korea. Up until now, the U.S.' attitude toward Pyongyang has been, "Do as We Say, Not As We Do", or prepare to be obliterated. Well, as the world can plainly see, that approach wasn't very helpful. Time to change the tune.

So, when the U.S. demands failed, more crippling economic sanctions were called for. When the demands and sanctions failed, the U.S. tried strong-arming China into strong-arming North Korea. When China failed to deliver, gunboat diplomacy was used to frighten Pyongyang into submission. The U.S. ramped up regular war games with South Korea, it flew B-1 bombers and F-15 jets perilously close to North Korean airspace and sent three carrier strike groups to the Korean Peninsula for the sole purpose of intimidating Kim Jong-un. Unfortunately, nothing the U.S. tried yielded any more than a loud yawn. 

Even the most casual of observers began to note, Kim Jong-un had a plan and he was sticking to it. Kim's representatives have consistently stated nuclear arms were the right of any sovereign nation, as well as a matter of national pride and national security. And who could argue with that, considering Kim Jong-un's worldview? Besides, nobody will ever convince the United States of doing anything less to protect itself. For Kim, North Korea's nuclear weapons program is for the future and preservation of the North Korean people. Now that's a message any domestic audience will appreciate. It's the kinda message North Koreans will fight and die for.

One can only surmise, the White House is finally considering the opinions of Pentagon officials, the state department, military analysts, and U.S. intelligence gathering agencies. Perhaps someone has finally convinced "45" that Kim Jong-un can't be bluffed, bullied or even bargained with when it comes to North Korea's nuclear ambitions. No matter what Trump tweets, threatens or taunts, Kim's quest to prove his nation's nuclear and technological prowess will not be deterred. And if all that's true, what else could the United States do? Does this mean the U.S. blinked first? Or, despite the aforementioned, what if this change in policy is just a clever ploy? Time for some speculating.

What if the Trump administration is simply giving lip-service to the idea of developing a dialog with North Korea without any strings attached? What if Trump simply wants to convince the international community, every diplomatic effort was exhausted in reaching out to Pyongyang, before issuing his order for a preemptive military strike? It wouldn't be the first time the White House and State Department officials found themselves sending diametrically opposed messages out to the world. Rex Tillerson often tells the international community one thing, while Trump is tweeting something else entirely. 

Bottom line: While it's far too early to say if this new policy toward North Korea is a quiet recognition of Kim Jong-un being the newest member of the world's nuclear bomb club, or just a slick ploy to catch Pyongyang off guard, this latest development, deserves due attention. At the very least, the concession to talk without preconditions could delay a very stupid decision fraught with unimaginable and lasting consequences. Podcast below.