Kerry In Japan: US Ready To 'Reach Out' To North Korea

[Purveyor]

Source: NBC NEWS

By Hasani Gittens, News Editor, NBC News

After weeks of increasingly hostile rhetoric, the U.S. is ready to “reach out” to North Korea’s leadership, Secretary of State John Kerry said in Japan on Sunday.

The Obama administration is just waiting for the right moment.

"We are prepared to reach out but we need (the) appropriate moment, appropriate circumstance," Kerry told reporters in Tokyo, according to pool reports.

America’s chief diplomat added that a key component of the talks would be North Korea taking steps toward giving up its nuclear programs.

"They have to take some actions. Now how many and how much I want to have a discussion with folks back in Washington (about)... but they have to take action," he added.

Read more: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/14/17748945-kerry-in-japan-us-ready-to-reach-out-to-north-korea?lite

[TwilightGardener]

1. Honestly, we should stop offers to talk until they decide to

change their behavior. You can't say you're going to start war and nuke specific cities and then expect to be rewarded with dialogue for it. What is there to talk about, anyway? They won't yield--they want their nukes and no sanctions, end of story.

[karynnj]

6. That sounds like what Kerry said -- while stressing that a behavior change will bring them

I think you need both pieces. It is in the interest of the world to break the stalemate. It is likely that this - even if China says the same - won't get us there, but it may be the best strategy we have. Certainly better than the RW suggestion that we escalate militarily - which we really don't want to risk with US soldiers near the border.

[defacto7]

2. I see some political use

for making absolutely clear to the world that the US is not the one taking an immovable stance. But there is no reasonable way to negotiate without DPRK backing off and making their own concession to stop the bellicose rhetoric and start pulling down their nuclear expansion. That cannot be negotiated. I doubt they will budge though.

[John2]

3. Well, maybe the U.S.

can start by settling the Truce and moving towards a real Peace Treaty with North Korea. They can also promise not to attack North Korea if they gave up their nuclear Weapons Programs, and also stop joint military exercises with South Korea. North Korea can also promise not to attack South Korea. There should be no conditions by either side, except direct talks period. Go back to square one and slowly move towards reunification, without any foreign influence. And quite frankly, I would have took Kim up on his call, because regardless of whom it came from, it was an opening for dialog. The Western Media be damed!

[Ash_F]

4. DU was 0 for 2 until this post.

Thanks for not sounding like a Republican/Someone brainswashed by Republican pundits.

I am with Kerry on this.

[Dreamer Tatum]

8. Promise not to attack?

We weren't going to attack the fuckers in the first place, so promising you won't if they give up nukes admits that you
had ulterior motives in the first place. So, FAIL.

N. Korea has a record of breaking every promise it ever made, so how can anyone believe anything they "promise?"

Naive.

[killbotfactory]

5. There won't be talks until NK is done with their saber rattling

But at least we are trying to start talks, instead of ignoring or delaying them and wishing for their government to collapse.

[gordianot]

7. John Kerry has a very difficult job sounding diplomatic to a bellicose entitled twerp.

I feel for him. He is stuck, he has to engage in diplomatic speak. Since I am not bound by the same rules just for a minute I am going to be non-diplomatic.


Kim Jong-Un is the latest installment of a dynasty of common thugs who masquerade behind a political system singularly unsuited for Humans. Having more in common with the tactics and theatrics of the Unification Church in South Korea the North Korean Communist Party is largely a cult of personality with messianic overtones. As an anachronism of the Cold War North Korea in a bid to maintain relevance has resorted to suicidal threats in order to not being ignored out of existence.
Due to their geographical location in the middle of industrial manufacturing and financial centers in South Korea, China, and Japan; the bellicose threats of North Korea are of concern in the scenario that the ruling Communist Party of North Korea is really suicidal. Since North Korea does not have petroleum or other natural resources they are not worth consideration of invasion. As a source of cheap labor in the vast sea of that commodity they are a drop in the bucket. As a means to instill fear by professional political fear mongers (known as Republicans with some Democrats in the United States) North Korea is an arm merchants dream. North Korea also has some value among obsolete media outlets in the United States such as CNN, Fox News, NBC, ABC and CBS. North Korea needs to realize the world is tired of hearing about you and we all wish you would go away.

[Daniel537]

9. Glad to see cool heads prevailing here.

North Korea is all talk. I don't expect them to give up their nukes anytime soon, but they know what the consequences of war would be.

[FrodosPet]

10. They know, but do they care?

I am trying to get "Happy Happy North Korea is all bluster they know better", that they care about what happens to their people. But based on past history, I am not so sure.

Kim Jong-un may have painted himself in a corner, and he may see the only way out being an EMP attack on Japan. Or perhaps he DOES want to help the people of the Korean peninsula, and he sees the only path to that being the destruction of the DPRK military.