A way out of Iraq

[tw]

Originally posted by dave
We don't have a military option with North Korea for a number of reasons. ... Diplomacy is the only option we have right now.

So N Korean paranoia of a US attack is unjustified. From a US public's opinion - yes. Attack is absolutely unrealistic. But not true inside the same administration that was so quick to also threatened war with China over a silly spy plane.

Normally, a US attack would only be N Korean paranoia. However US leadership has sharply changed. So sharply that S Koreans consider the US more of a theat than N Korea. S Koreans are so furious at Americans now that US troops must remain in groups off base to avoid being attacked. Even the head of information for the US 8th Army in Korea (a Colonel) was mugged and stabbed because S Koreans are that upset with America. Or is it just George Jr they fear?

Normally, any US attack would only be S Korean paranoia. However tonight from the AP:

High-ranking U.S. officials last month considered attacking North Korea before agreeing to seek a peaceful solution to the standoff over nuclear weapons, South Korea's president-elect said Saturday.

Roh Moo-hyun, speaking on television, said there were top-level U.S. discussions about a possible invasion, but Washington officials Saturday were quick to say they had no knowledge such talks took place.
...
[Roh Moo-hyun] described the U.S. officials as ``hardline'' and did not say how he knew about the discussion. But Roh is close to outgoing President Kim Dae-jung, whose government has been coordinating a joint strategy on the North with the United States.

So it is not North and South Korean paranoia. This administration would openly consider a surprise attack on another nation - without a good reason.

Normally one could dismiss this report and the resulting Korean paranoia. But then this same administration acts so much like Nixon. They claim to seek diplomatic settlement while openly seeking reasons for war with Iraq - pushing almost any nonsense evidence - including aluminum tubes and rumored Al Qaeda contacts - to justify attack. This is so similar to Nixon's mindset when he attacked Cambodia and later Laos. First Nixon denied he was seeking any reason to justify both attacks. Then later outrightly denied he had already attacked.

Current administration's first step is repeatedly too quick to seek a military solution while arbitrarily cutting off all negotiations; thereby only aggrevating the situation.

Why, for god sake, was a surprise attack even being considered? And why did this president so quickly cut off all negotiations - suggesting a N Korean invason may be the next step. The last President that routinely used that kind of strategy when attack was so futile and unproductive was Richard Nixon - when Nixon was becoming paranoid.