Trump declares N Korea threat to the civilized world; meets abductees' relatives

I understand the pain of the families but I don't really understand what Trump got to do with these? Are they asking US to raid and take the abducted citizens back to Japan ? don't they realize  that this will just cause a big war that will potentially kill their lost lovedones in DPRK if they are still alive.

 I don't really understand what Trump got to do with these? Are they asking US to raid and take the abducted citizens back to Japan ?

It's called bringing empathy to the world stage over the plight of Japanese abductees.

As painful as the handful of these individual cases are for the people concerned, do the families expect a great big, possibly WMD, war and millions killed just so they MIGHT get some news of their missing loved ones' whereabouts?

Nice to see him follow up on a promise to visit these people. Here's hoping he'll follow up on all his other promises!

otherwordly

It's called bringing empathy to the world stage over the plight of Japanese abductees.

Indeed, but I think the whole world are already aware of these. I think if they want to see their families back this will sound weird but the only person to convince is Kim Jong Un.  It's really a tough situation and I don't think Trump and the entire world can really help. :(

Personally doubt most of the abductees are still alive.

Nothing to return, just empty compassion.

Personally doubt most of the abductees are still alive.

Either that, or they were so thoroughly conditioned and brain-washed that they have new lives and don't want to come back. It's hard to imagine that they've just been rotting in a cell all this time.

Either way, it must be terrible for the families to not know. They deserve an answer at least.

Sad to say - but if there was ever a "milking" of personal tragic circumstances for political gain this is copy-book stuff.

Trump has absolutely no ability to guarantee the return(if still alive) of any of the abductees.

And Abe just bathes in the waffle, giving the impression he's doing something, to satisfy a blinkered domestic audience.

And furthermore - Trump's declaration of NK as a threat is about as important breaking news as my dog chased a cat. The whole world already knows this a 1,000 times over, and most ordinary folks (us plebs), would like to see a non--aggressive-hard-to-do-but-must-swallow-pride attempt at defusing the dangerous situation.

Matching Kim Jong Un's belligerence with word-for-word belligerence is serving no one but War Inc.

Flagrant exploitation of the desperate relatives of those kidnapped. Their disappointment will be ten-gold within a month.

Trump declares N Korea threat to the civilized world

It's the pot calling the kettle black.

Some people say my rhetoric is very strong but look what has happened with very weak rhetoric in last 25 years

What happened in the last 25 years you dumb as... is that nobody was stupid enough to start a military conflict against North Koera which could rapidly escalate to a total chaos in east Asia.

And I have a message to those naive abductees’s relatives who think that Trump can be of any help for them. Just look at how the Trump’s plan to force Mexico to pay for a wall worked out. You get the picture?

Good visit by Trump, he got that one right. NK will pay dearly for these kidnaps and the subsequent lying and cover up. Rest assured, justice will be meted out many times over to NK's government, who is living on life support now

The US is hardly in a position to complain, having kidnapped innocent people around the world, locked them up in Cuba and tortured them.

In the calligraphy class, she wrote the first Chinese letter of "peace," as Abe wrote the second letter.

Then Donald said "peace is a great idea, great, great idea. We'll look into that, soon. Very soon. Right after my tax releases" before tearing the sheets into pieces.

Hello Kitty 321 -- they are called "enemy combatants" NOT innocent people.

President Trump can't win with the SJW posters on this site. If he went to North Korea and somehow found the abductees alive and also brought them back to Japan, you people would still have a litany of negative things to say about Trump...

Trump is adept at capitalising on tragedies and other people's misfortunes. He's not going to bring back any abductees; it's just empty, cynical promises. Trump knows it's a great opportunity for positive coverage here and he also knows that the relatives are understandably desperate for any avenue (however unlikely) that will shed light on the fate of their kin.

It's those relatives who will continue to mourn and wonder what if, long after this charlatan has exited his brief turn on the world stage.

If he went to North Korea and somehow found the abductees alive and also brought them back to Japan, you people would still have a litany of negative things to say about Trump...

We sure would, because even if he did that, he’d just be an incompetent moron who finally managed to do something right.

He’d rightfully be praised for doing it. But we’d still point out all the stupid stuff he does when he does it. One act does not wipe out years of screw ups and incompetence.

VW,

No IF he did that I would have good things to say about it, seriously, its just that 99% of the time he gets it wrong that is why people criticize, plus the guy is just NOT a good person by any reasonable criteria!

I would compare to The President of USA performance similar to the autistic syndrome "asperges" when he applies his diplomatic tact but that would be a insult to those people afflicted.

"Some people say my rhetoric is very strong but look what has happened with very weak rhetoric in last 25 years," said Trump, 

Meanwhile, many reasonable analysts say that G.W.'s hard line on North Korea--ditching years of patient and largely successful negotiated curbs on N.K.'s nuclear program during the Clinton presidency--led to our current state of affairs. There is no room for stupid bravado in this matter. Millions upon millions of people's lives are at stake. The narcissist Trump is absolutely the wrong man for this time.

As for the families of the abductees, I feel for them deeply, and I can't say I wouldn't do what they're doing were I in their situation. However, they're being played by Abe and the LDP for political gain, and using Trump's visit to amplify the BS. Empty promises. Abe is as shameless as they come.

It is interesting that many people see Trump as the greatest threat to the civilised world, actually to the whole world.

Is Mrs Abe still pretending she cannot speak English?

I still think Trump is trying to provoke NK into doing something stupid

It is interesting that many people see Trump as the greatest threat to the civilised world, actually to the whole world.

Well the greatest threat I don’t know but the dumbest certainly yes.

When will abductees relatives realize they are being used?

Flagrant exploitation of the desperate relatives of those kidnapped. Their disappointment will be ten-gold within a month.

It is called procedure. Obama went through the whole song and dance too then moved onto the rest of his Asian tour.

Trump as an "incompetent moron"？

Sorry, that is not an apt nor an adequate description.

North Korea has acknowledged apprehending 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s, 

Aprrehending? Poor translation or use of English. These were abductions or kidnapings carried out on foreign soil, not arrests for a crime.

Malanie and Akie hold up characters for peace while Donald and Shinzo increase pressure on Jong Un. Aren’t they pulling their husbands’ hind legs?

Simple:

Trump Year 1. Speak your truth clearly.

Trump Year 8. Peace.

Glad Melanie mingled with Japanese children. I think she posed shorter height to look like a child. Nice photo.

If Trump and USA can win war against Kim, possibly lease and the relatives may visit the

Who else is powerful to scold Kim?

Anyone else find it ironic that melania wrote the Kanji for peace while her husband has been threatening war with nk? Or is that melania is clueless as to what her husband has been saying? It's a toss up...

Bloomberg: "Trump is leaving Japan empty handed on trade".

Japan continues to win; President Trump what's up, falling into Japan evasive trick again?

The golf game from Abe is not worth it, compare to the needed Yen appreciation & tens of billions in purchase of American goods.

Another feel-good photo-op for Botchan. Disgusting how he manages to keep these folks' spirits up while doing sweet Fanny Adams except talk talk talk.

So people here are all bent out of shape that Trump is "using" the abductees' family members, for a "feel-good" photo opportunity, a "hypocritical" move given that the US has abducted people.

I'm just curious, what would you people be commenting here if the headline read "Trump Cancels, Skips Out on Meeting With Abductees' Relatives"?

North Korea a threat to the civilized world?

How many countries did Pyongyang invaded or bombed in the last say 10 years?

Now , same question about Amerika.

At the end of the day it's not the Kim regime that made Okinawa the Crimea of Asia either.

“He will shoot them out of the sky when he completes the purchase of lots of additional military equipment from the United States,”

Openly treating Abe like a vassal. Nice work, dotard. The whole world is in Trump survival mode. I'm not religious, but I pray for Mueller.

bluesky.greentreesToday 10:26 pm JSTBloomberg: "Trump is leaving Japan empty handed on trade".

Japan continues to win; President Trump what's up, falling into Japan evasive trick again?

The golf game from Abe is not worth it, compare to the needed Yen appreciation & tens of billions in purchase of American goods.

Our problem is that we make mostly crap that costs too much. Then expect other counties to buy it. When the Germans make the same thing we do they don't have a problem selling it in Japan. We can't UNDO what has happened to our economy over the last 40 years, the shift in resources and industries by "forcing" others to buy what many American's won't buy. We need to focus on what we do best and sell it- which is exactly what is behind Japan's purchases of US military equipment. And how can anyone complain about Japan not buying enough USA products when Trump walked us out of TPP and handed the Top Beef Exporter to Japan role to our competitor Australia? See what the American Beef Association think about Trump. Worse, Trump has handed the future of Asian economic power over to China (with whom we have a $347 billion deficit, compared to $69 billion for Japan). Finally the J-Yen is not manipulated nor underappreciated. And even if it were that's barking up the wrong tree because Americans buy Japanese products even if they cost more. They aren't buying Made in Japan because it's cheaper. If cost was all they cared about they'd buy Made in China. Trump's speeches about fixing our trade deficit with Japan has from the start been geared to these with no understanding of our trade issues. Which of course works for his low brow supporters.

@CrazyJoe:

I'm not religious, but I pray for Mueller.

You are not crazy.

I think you are a genius!

Anyone that knows basic military tactics have read Sun Tzu. He said: "To a surrounded enemy, you must leave a way of escape" and "Show him there is a road to safety, and so create in his mind the idea that there is an alternative to death...". 

Harrasement is not a good idea unless someone is seeking some means to start a war far away from his neghbourhood. Be carefull Trump, be carefull Abe, nobody wants a war except the war mongers in accross the ocean.

Oh, really? And how many countries around the world does North Korea have military bases in? And in how many countries are the North Koreans fighting wars right now??

I'm not religious, but I pray for Mueller.

It's not Mueller job to stop Trump.

Its our job.

I am pleasantly surprised by first ladies hand writing, both are beautiful. Akie's is more complex but she has no problem with that. Melania is really talented. I wonder if she knows Chinese.

trump is the danger. We all know this. He will bully and bluster those around him to act first, then say I did not fire the first shot. Go back 75 years when Mr Hitler was nice to Mr Stalin.

We are now re enacting history, we need to learn from those mistakes NOW.

trumps gentle tummy rubs of his friends is so transparent and offensive.

Please Japan do not be taken in by this felon.

How many countries did Pyongyang invaded or bombed in the last say 10 years?

How many countries has Pyongyang threatened to nuke in the last 10 years?