Kim says N Korea in final stages of test launching ICBM

They tried to tell Trump during the daily briefing but he was busy tweeting love notes to his friend Putin.

I think Tubby is kind of cute in his own way.

crazy politics

@Laptop ..The horse had long bolted . The world would have to learn to live with a nuclear power NK, and what was Trump and Putin supposed to do? Putin,Jinping and Un are incandescent with rage because of the THAAD in SK, I think that is reason enough for them to sit back and enjoy the discomforts of the other parties.

I want to know why Obama has let this situation come to pass.

I want to know why Obama has let this situation come to pass.

How would he have stopped it?

SerranoJAN. 01, 2017 - 11:44PM JST I want to know why Obama has let this situation come to pass.

Because realistically there was nothing he could have done to prevent it. With Congress second-guessing his every diplomatic gesture there's no way he could even attempt a diplomatic solution where China uses its weight to keep DPRK nuclear-free, and with a military solution millions of innocent South Koreans would be almost certain to be killed. So, what exactly do you think he could have done?

The fact is, Bill Clinton's policy of engagement had the Kim regime fairly well-contained with even nuclear monitors in the country until Bush gave his "Axis of Evil" speech and gave Kim Jong Il an excuse to turn away from engagement by making it look like the US was the aggressor and DPRK needed nukes for self-defense. Once that happened, it's impossible to go back.

But not to worry. In 19 days Trump will be on the case! Surely he'll get it taken care of. I mean, he won't be able to do a military action any better than Obama and he shot himself in the foot with regards to making a deal with China, but still, it'll be fine. When Trump thumps his chest regarding the US's nuclear arsenal, you guys always talk about how MAD is a totally successful and not dangerous at all strategy. So obviously it's fine if North Korea has an ICBM. MAD will ensure they'll never use it. Now who's up for a game of golf? Perhaps a reassuring tweet to take your mind off things?

Trump has never clearly stated his policy on the isolated state.

He really has never clearly stated anything.

China needs to step up to the plate.

The last of the real dangerous puppet regimes. Wish NK could understand that the early 1960s ended in (drum roll...) the early 1960s. Kim continues to waddle his orca-fat frame about while his poor people starve. Now is the last chance to take him out. Once he has usable nukes, we will have reached the point of no return when an internal rebellion or coup will be the only way to terminate the regime. I wonder if NK's heightened rhetoric and continual flouting of UN resolutions will cause Trump to attempt any military action against NK. Would be nice to see the 1960s finally come to an end in East Asia and human rights and freedom return.

matakaJAN. 02, 2017 - 05:01AM JST Kim continues to waddle his orca-fat frame about while his poor people starve. Now is the last chance to take him out.

DPRK already has extensive conventional munitions within range of Seoul to make any attempt at warfare catastrophic. There was never a chance to take him out. Cracking fat jokes about him might feel good, but it doesn't change the reality.

I wonder if NK's heightened rhetoric and continual flouting of UN resolutions will cause Trump to attempt any military action against NK.

Why would they? "Heightened rhetoric" and "flouting" norms are some of Trump's favorite things to do!

Well north korea will learn the very hard way that all nuclear missiles point to North Korea and him.

"How would he have stopped it?"

You're right, Stranger, there was nothing Obama could have done to stop North Korea from obtaining a working ICBM. If North Korea wants an ICBM, by golly they're going to have it!

I sense sarcasm. So again I ask, how would Obama have stopped it?