Posted on 09/10/2007 11:17:04 PM PDT by Schnucki
George Bush offered North Korea a peace deal yesterday that would end the world's oldest and bloodiest cold war conflict on condition that Pyongyang gives up its nuclear weapons programme.
Prodded into the commitment during a testy exchange with South Korea's president, Roh Moo-hyun, on the eve of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Sydney, Mr Bush said he would reward North Korea with a security arrangement that would replace the armistice signed at the end of the Korean war in 1953, which had cost 4 million lives.
The offer represents another shift away from Washington's hardline stance towards the communist country, which Mr Bush once included in the "axis of evil". It came as Pyongyang invited the US, China and Russia to survey its nuclear facilities, work at which was halted earlier this year.
Mr Bush's move towards engagement rather than confrontation was the subject of an awkward dialogue with Mr Roh played out in front of the TV cameras.
Mr Roh leaned across and urged the president to be more explicit about the security arrangement.
"I might be wrong. I think I did not hear President Bush mention a declaration to end the Korean war just now," Mr Roh said through an interpreter. "Did you say that, President Bush?" Mr Bush replied it was "up to Kim Jong-il".
The South Korean leader remained unconvinced. "If you could be a little clearer," he said.
A clearly irritated Mr Bush said that he had in mind a formal peace treaty that would end hostilities in the war, which ended with the US still technically at war with the North.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
waste of time.
What about Vietnam? Cambodia? Mao's 'Cultural Revolution?' Jeez, how about some accuracy?
Stick to the Reagan plan, “We win, they lose.”
And people are complaining about how long Iraq is lasting. LOL
What a great idea George! Afterall we all know communist dictators keep their promises. Ask Madaline Dimwit!
Oh, yeah, right. It was all Roh’s doing. Roh shamed Bush and forced him to make peace with the North. Sheesh-what would we do without the left to explain things to us.
Amen, brother. We win, they lose.
South Korea isn’t interested in ending the state of war. Think of all the billions of taxpayer dollars the US military pumps into their economy. Remember when the Germans didn’t want US bases closed when we won the cold war? The South Koreans would have to fund their own defense and do without the billions we spend there.
The way the Korean war is portrayed always ticks me off. The Korean War was a United Nations conflict. That is why there was no peace treaty, just a cease fire agreement.
North Korea was not at war with the US, but with the rest of the world. Of course the UN gets an agreement and goes its merry way, leaving the US holding the bag and all the blame since then.
It’s time to just leave South Korea. They can defend themselves.
Legacy-seeking is very dangerous- for us
The DPRK rulers have spent decades brainwashing their people into believing that they are the only defense between the populace and the mad outsiders who want to kill them. Kim Jong-Il can no more end the war than he can jump over the moon. It would end the national myth and throw his country into an existential crisis, like when the Japanese Emperor admitted he was no god.
I'm not sure what happened to Bush or when, but the sooner he leaves the better off we will be.
I hate to say it, but in many ways, he is becoming more a threat to our safety and security than Al Qaeda is.
Yes it is.
Clinton had them for 8 years and Bush is now wearing the Legacy Blinders
Exactly, That’s the only policy.
The famous American General that invented the "meatgrinder" defensive tactic chewed up a lot of human wave attacks.
LLS
He is definitely is full blown legacy mode. He’ll do anything, promise anything, pay any amount of money to get this done.
megabump to your post and cartoon!
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