Condoleeza Rice Says Rex Tillerson, Not Trump, Deserves Credit for North Korea Talks

[ABX]

I don't think anyone should be jumping to take credit yet.. we know the Norks can't be trusted and this may end up being another Iran deal, just with a different letter behind it.

...In an interview with Fox and Friends Tuesday, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who stepped down from his post in March, deserves credit for North Korea’s willingness to come to the negotiating table.  
“We really did isolate the North Koreans more successfully this time,” Rice told the hosts on Fox and Friends. “And I have to tell you, the former secretary, Tillerson, really does have a lot of credit for that.”.....

http://www.newsweek.com/condoleeza-rice-says-rex-tillerson-not-trump-deserves-credit-north-korea-talks-906897

[ABX]

I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man  - Donald Trump

[Frank Cannon]

LOL. This is bullshit. Trump was on N Koreas ass from the jump.

[Frank Cannon]

I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man  - Donald Trump

Wasn't that statement made BEFORE Donny was setting up the isolation portion of this plan?

[ABX]

LOL. This is bullshit. Trump was on N Koreas ass from the jump.

By on his ass, you mean tweeting?

[skeeter]

I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man  - Donald Trump

Nice point. Its that kind of departure from previous presidents' treatment of the fat little freak that likely has forced him out from under his rock.

[ABX]

Wasn't that statement made BEFORE Donny was setting up the isolation portion of this plan?

That was just in October.

I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man...

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017

[driftdiver]

By on his ass, you mean tweeting?

! No longer available

[endicom]

She didn't shift credit from Trump to Tillerson but gave Tillerson credit for what, in her view, is his due.

[driftdiver]

It never ceases to amaze me that people bitch and moan for decades that they are tired of politicians.  Tired of the mealy mouthed weasel words.

They want it straight.

Then they get it and are surprised when the guy elected doesn't have a filter.   Doesn't use traditional mealy mouth diplomatic terms.

Its simply amazing.

[Frank Cannon]

That was just in October.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man...</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Just in October? That was over half a year ago. Rocket Man was in the middle of lobbing bombs and hadn't blown his nuclear test facility off the face of the map yet. It was the time for hardball, not tea and crumpets like hapless Tillerson wanted. 

[aligncare]

It never ceases to amaze me that people bitch and moan for decades that they are tired of politicians.  Tired of the mealy mouthed weasel words.

They want it straight.

Then they get it and are surprised when the guy elected doesn't have a filter.   Doesn't use traditional mealy mouth diplomatic terms.

Its simply amazing.

Boggles the mind....

[Lando Lincoln]

She didn't shift credit from Trump to Tillerson but gave Tillerson credit for what, in her view, is his due.

In our absolute way of discussing absolute issues, your absolutely correct observation absolutely does not matter.

[endicom]

In our absolute way of discussing absolute issues, your absolutely correct observation absolutely does not matter.

You're absolutely probably right.

[driftdiver]

My wife is South Korean and she watches SK news more than I like.   BUT it does provide a different view of whats happening then we get here in the States.   They often go public with whats really happening whereas our govt and media doesn't say anything.

I remember them having segments on Tillerson but it was never positive.  Usually he was represented as a bully.

Nor did they have much good to say about Trump.   They think he's crass, a womanizer and fails to respect the people of South Korea.   However, they have never said he was weak.  Now obama, they laughed at, because he was so weak.   They knew they could push Obama around.

With Trump they never quite knew what they would get but it wasn't weakness.   All of a sudden the North was willing to talk with the South.  Then there were exchanges of communications between families.  Then the olympics where the two countries worked together.   After that there were several concerts in NK featuring SK celebrities.   A cultural exchange so to speak.   Now we are seeing the very first opportunity to end the Korea war since 1953.

Of course Trump didn't do it by himself but just as he takes the fall for mistakes his team makes, so does he get the credit for putting the pieces in place to make something good happen for the world.

[ABX]

Like Iran, what does North Korea's history on these matters teach us?

[skeeter]

Like Iran, what does North Korea's history on these matters teach us?

That they historically responded to threats from the west by torpedoing patrolling ROK frigates or launching mortar attacks on ROK held islands.

If what you're driving at is Kim can't be trusted you are right. But his latest moves do represent a significant departure from the past.

[ABX]

It never ceases to amaze me that people bitch and moan for decades that they are tired of politicians.  Tired of the mealy mouthed weasel words.

They want it straight.

Then they get it and are surprised when the guy elected doesn't have a filter.   Doesn't use traditional mealy mouth diplomatic terms.

Its simply amazing.

Actually, you miss the point completely.

North Korea, like Iran, can't be trusted. They throw these carrots out constantly, usually to mask what they are doing or other intentions.

Trusting North Korea right now is like trusting Iran with their BS 'deal' Obama made them.

Anyone wanting to tie their horse to this better be ready to get fallout if and when North Korea pulls a rope-a-dope like they always do.

What happens if Trump, or Tillerson, or whomever, starts waiving the flag about how great they are for this and the Norks, a year from now, suddenly pull 2-3 more nuke tests in a new location or we find out they've been working with Iran to continue to fund terrorists.

This has happened before, it will happen again.

[ABX]

That they historically responded to threats from the west by torpedoing patrolling ROK frigates or launching mortar attacks on ROK held islands.

If what you're driving at is Kim can't be trusted you are right. But his latest moves do represent a significant departure from the past.

Actually, his latest moves mirror 2000 when he threw a bunch of carrots out to Bill Clinton, only to start up nuke testing w/ in a few months, bigger than before. It isn't a significant departure, it is a pattern.

[Frank Cannon]

Actually, his latest moves mirror 2000 when he threw a bunch of carrots out to Bill Clinton, only to start up nuke testing w/ in a few months, bigger than before. It isn't a significant departure, it is a pattern.

Oh. So in 2000 he blew the top of the mountain off where he had his nuclear development program basically neutralizing it and pissed the Chinamen off. Did not know that.

[ABX]

Oh. So in 2000 he blew the top of the mountain off where he had his nuclear development program basically neutralizing it and pissed the Chinamen off. Did not know that.

We found out in 2000, when he promised to stop testing and development, he was secretly enriching uranium.

It is naïve to think he was developing and testing in just one location. We found in 2000 he had several secret facilities.

In 2003-2005, we attempted to start 6 party talks. North Korea threw some carrots out and pretended to be nice again.

They were secretly building new testing facilities while putting these carrots out.

In 2006, they resumed testing they claimed to have stopped and revealed that not only did they not stop, they were secretly developing bigger nukes and longer range missiles.

[skeeter]

Actually, his latest moves mirror 2000 when he threw a bunch of carrots out to Bill Clinton, only to start up nuke testing w/ in a few months, bigger than before. It isn't a significant departure, it is a pattern.

Agreeing to end the Korean War is a significant departure.

[ABX]

Agreeing to end the Korean War is a significant departure.

If they are telling the truth.  That's really the difference here. I don't believe them any more than I believed Iran would uphold their end in their deal.

[Lando Lincoln]

If they are telling the truth.

Your skepticism is warranted.  However, I view the optics of recent days as extraordinary. 

[ABX]

Your skepticism is warranted.  However, I view the optics of recent days as extraordinary.

Just throwing this question out there.

Everyone is focusing on Punggye-ri collapsing as if it is the end to their program.

Why aren't we hearing about Yongbyon or Chonmasan or Pakchon or a half dozen other nuclear development facilities we know about?