world

Trump downplays North Korean missile threat

54 Comments
By JILL COLVIN

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

54 Comments
Login to comment

Bye bye Bolton.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Cannot believe that John Bolton, who rejects multilateral institutions like the UN, is highlighting North Korea's violations of UN Security Council resolutions banning missile tests. Hypocrisy without limits.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Trump said he "smiled" when Kim "called Swampman Joe Bidan a low IQ individual, & worse."

I, for one, welcome the new US National Security Adviser, Mr Kim.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Donny continuing to appease and capitulate to Kim.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Donny continuing to appease and capitulate to Kim.

1984 being played out in real life.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Each person, be it Trump, Bolton, or Abe or even Moon and Kim has a position to uphold and a role to play. The do that in their local domestic arena as well as in the world arena. And, as we all know that they do not have to take the same exact position in all matters as they must "balance off" everything from assumptions, innuendoes to accusations and, of course, differing political interests. They can and do offer their own "opinions" which are different from policy and action. (That at least is made available within the US - by the 1st Amendment.)

Given the total world picture, the most pressing issue is "economics." All nations including China, S Korea and N Korea are "suffering" to say the least because "economics" is the only tool now available to "require" other nations to at least "think and consider" making "changes" that (ideally by US and Judeo-Christian moral discustandards which most of the world "appear" to be in agreement) are fair and equitable for international and human relationships. N Korea which suffering from long past is devastated by the embargo and now by the economic downturn all over the world. So, Kim had to make a "statement".

But as discussed in other articles, N Korea is not looking for an outright war and will not seek annihilation. But the "demands" by the world organization, not necessarily all nations, want total disarmament because they are incapable of producing it themselves or are just afraid and want the more powerful nations to "control" the situation.

For N Korea it is their "trump" card with the US, China, Russia and even S Korea and Japan. That is what got Trump to meet Kim to begin with.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Trump just played all sides by making some well-pointed jokes.

Very

Stable

Genius

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Abe Shinzo is not going to like this.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Again, we see one fascist supporting (minimizing the threat of another fascist) while talking to an ally. Pretty soon, in a year or two, Abe will be tired of being played like a fool and will ally himself and Japan with China. Actually, I see no other choice, Trump is too crazy, and half of America (read conservatives) are too!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

In an apparent contradiction of his national security adviser

I told y'all he's got him on a tight leash.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Abe will be tired of being played like a fool and will ally himself and Japan with China.

Well, I certainly look forward to that. It's tough having a Prime Minister who is not an ally of the country he represents.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@commanteer

You could also be currently describing the US Conservative party.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

You could also be currently describing the US Conservative party.

I was just poking fun at his grammatical mistake. But if you say so.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

"Perhaps that's sending me a signal?"

Yes, Drumpf, that you are a dimwit who will listen to anyone who sticks their nose far enough up your butt to tell you how beautiful you are inside and out.

Quite obvious for the people of Japan, and the poor victims of kidnapping and their kin, they've got no help coming from Trump.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Bye bye Bolton.

Why?

Cannot believe that John Bolton, who rejects multilateral institutions like the UN,

Besides delegating Humanitarian aid fairly well and banging on bashing on about how terrible the US is, what are these people there for? I think the U.N. is the biggest joke and a waste of everyone’s times.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

North Korea labeled Biden a "fool of low IQ" and an "imbecile bereft of elementary quality as a human being"

Spot on, Kimbo!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Yes, Drumpf, that you are a dimwit who will listen to anyone who sticks their nose far enough up your butt to tell you how beautiful you are inside and out. 

What?

Quite obvious for the people of Japan, and the poor victims of kidnapping and their kin, they've got no help coming from Trump.

With Trump, I don’t think a Crimea will happen in SK.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Trump could have done nothing to stop Crimea from happening, nor anyone else

I’m not even buying that for a second.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

You don't have to

Yes, you’re right. I don’t, because unlike the previous President he wouldn’t have appeased any of his adversaries in the way the last President did. He thought going on a world apology tour bending over would make the world love us, it didn’t it made things a lot worse in fact, he became the laughing stock of a pushover.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Yes, you’re right. I don’t, because unlike the previous President he wouldn’t have appeased any of his adversaries in the way the last President did.

Appease? Trumps grovels down and licks Putin's boots. Putin's mouth moves and Donnie speaks. He sides with Putin over his own Intel agencies. Trump is the Great Orange Appeaser...

He thought going on a world apology tour bending over would make the world love us, it didn’t it made things a lot worse in fact, he became the laughing stock of a pushover.

Yea, just ask Osama Bin Laden... Every world leader thinks Trump is a joke. An ignorant Con-man, who can't even remember where his father was born. Trump is a laughing stock and a Loser...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

so you have zilch about what Trump could have done over Crimea. Just what I thought. Diversions are always better than trying to answer.

No, I’m just saying you have your opinion and I think totally differently. Nice try though as usual.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulroderickgregory/2012/10/21/appease-surrender-abandon-and-get-nothing-obamas-naivepolitik/#2fb2e4bb5bbc

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Appease? Trumps grovels down and licks Putin's boots.

Mueller’s final report says otherwise. So if I have to choose believing you over 40 FBI agents and 19 angry Hillary supporting lawyers, you lose.

Yea, just ask Osama Bin Laden...

Rob O’Neill ended that nightmare who happens to be a Trump supporter, but I thank him for taking out the trash.

Every world leader thinks Trump is a joke.

Good, but at least they pony up and won’t even think about walking over him. I don’t want the world to like him, that’s how we always get taken advantage of.

An ignorant Con-man, who can't even remember where his father was born. Trump is a laughing stock and a Loser...

That’s really your best shot? ROFL!

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Appease? Trumps grovels down and licks Putin's boots.

Mueller’s final report says otherwise. So if I have to choose believing you over 40 FBI agents and 19 angry Hillary supporting lawyers, you lose.

How soon we forget - remember when you criticized Trump during his first Summit with Putin where he groveled and scrapped. He treats Putin better than he does Melania...

Yea, just ask Osama Bin Laden...

Rob O’Neill ended that nightmare who happens to be a Trump supporter, but I thank him for taking out the trash.

Obama - 1, Bush, Trump - 0....

Every world leader thinks Trump is a joke.

Good, but at least they pony up and won’t even think about walking over him. I don’t want the world to like him, that’s how we always get taken advantage of.

Bring out the Man-baby balloon - that's what they think of him...

An ignorant Con-man, who can't even remember where his father was born. Trump is a laughing stock and a Loser...

That’s really your best shot? ROFL!

Shot? I don't know what that is - I was just describing the $1 Billion Loser...who thinks his American-born father was born in Germany...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Every sovereign nation has the right to have a defence system without seeking the approval of the US.

As far as the US is concerned, the US has only ever used the UN to coerce, bribe and threaten member nations into supporting US military adventures and global domination; the UN, as it exists is a complete waste of time and money.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Bass:. because unlike the previous President he wouldn’t have appeased any of his adversaries

He cancelled the war games, cancelled new sanction, and praises Kim often. In fact this entire article is about Trump giving Kim a free pass on new missile tests.

I understand that tough talk and actions resonate with you, but I fail to see how Trump's actions could possibly be defined as such. His actions seem more like appeasement, don't they?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Serrano: "I hope Little Rocket, er, Chariman Kim is paying attention to this Japan trip and what can be accomplished if he behaves." This means if he capitulates, if he surrenders NK sovereignty to the US, if he submits to  US domination.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Every sovereign nation has the right to have a defence system without seeking the approval of the US.

However, do not have the right to threaten or request assistance from other countries using the defense system.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

How soon we forget - remember when you criticized Trump during his first Summit with Putin where he groveled and scrapped. He treats Putin better than he does Melania...

I did for the simple reason I thought he would just be another complete capitalist and apologist like Obama was, boy was I ever wrong.

Obama - 1, Bush, Trump - 0....

Crimean Saddam Iran

SI was just describing the $1 Billion Loser...who

Miraculously, put the economy on steroids and brought the GDP out of the abyss to over 3.0%.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

He cancelled the war games, cancelled new sanction,

Never gave up or relieved the ongoing sanctions, phew!

and praises Kim often. In fact this entire article is about Trump giving Kim a free pass on new missile tests. 

But if Kim calls him names, he’s somehow a warmonger, if he makes him happy and praises him and uses the carrot and stick approach then he’s being too nice and a Democrat would...allow Kim to have everything as we saw with Crimea. You can never make liberals happy, but at the same time they love to criticize, they themselves would either apologize or just throw their hands up and say, take it.

I understand that tough talk and actions resonate with you, but I fail to see how Trump's actions could possibly be defined as such. His actions seem more like appeasement, don't they?

Not really, especially when it comes to trying to reason with this guy, I understand, he wants his money and he desperately needs it, but he’ll never get it unless he denuclearizes.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Not the first time you have decided to totally ignore the details of the mission to locate and capture Bin Laden.

No, I just know who pulled the trigger and for that, O’Neill gets my deepest respect.

You even suggest O'Neill happens to be a Trump supporter which is totally irrelevant

I don’t think so, but he did harshly criticize Obama as being weak and a capitalist.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

wanna-be despot sides with the despot

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I just wish Trump would stop praising Un and giving concessions while getting nothing in return.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I just wish Trump would stop praising Un and giving concessions while getting nothing in return.

I think this is a result of Trump having backed himself into a corner. NK is either going to do what the US wants, or they won't. If they were doing what the US wants, Trump would be fine - he blustered, and they listened. But if NK doesn't do what Trump wants, that means that he just blustered, and it led to nothing (other than the concessions he already gave). So he's doing what he does every time he fails at something, he tries to both re-write history, as well as re-frame the current reality, to frame is as if he is still winning.

The problem here is that it's very clear that NK is not doing what the US wants, and are very clearly throwing that in Trump's face. All he can do is grin and bear it, because the alternative is admitting the truth that his blustering led nowhere, and he's been even less effective with NK than the presidents before him.

And we all know that Trump never admits the truth. So we're left with him downplaying NK's actions.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I just wish Trump would stop praising Un and giving concessions while getting nothing in return.

Better than threatening him, to go to war, which he first did and liberals complained, so they even don’t know what to do, be nice, not good, threaten him, not good. Trump can be nice, firm and never give in on the sanctions to appease Kim which is what makes him crazy and Kim thinks if he threatens Trump or fires a few rockets close to Japan, he can make this President give into relieving the sanctions and that will never happen, no matter how much of a tantrum little Kim gets. If Russia and China can’t help give sanction relief, no one can and that makes Kim extremely testy and with good reason. The life of a dictator is hard.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Trump can be nice, firm and never give in on the sanctions to appease Kim which is what makes him crazy and Kim thinks if he threatens Trump or fires a few rockets close to Japan, he can make this President give into relieving the sanctions and that will never happen, no matter how much of a tantrum little Kim gets. 

Nice sentence! Journalistic level quality if I ever saw it.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Thank you, Strange! Kudos.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Kuddos to you too.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Strangerland: I think this is a result of Trump having backed himself into a corner.

I think he really has no idea what he's doing or what to do next. He only knows leverage and is useless without it. He cannot negotiate anything on equal ground.

bass: Better than threatening him, to go to war, which he first did and liberals complained

Of course we complained. He was using Twitter for bombastic anti-diplomacy, making up names like a 3rd grader, and threatening genocide. He was conducting himself like an idiot.

Now we have the Appeaser in Chief, giving concessions with nothing in return. Think about what he just did. "North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me." It's like he just gave North Korea a green light for short range missile testing while standing on Japanese soil. Add that to everything else.

Something between "I'll destroy your country, Rocketman" and giving away the farm would be nice. Why isn't he asking for any concessions when he gives these things away?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I think he really has no idea what he's doing or what to do next. He only knows leverage and is useless without it. He cannot negotiate anything on equal ground.

That makes sense. Unlike businessmen who had to build themselves up, he's was born into a position of leverage, and has always had it, so he likely has never had much, if any, experience negotiating from a point of equality. And due to seeing life through that lens, he likely thought the position of president of the USA was always acting from a point of having leverage. His pre-presidential comments definitely indicate as much - his criticisms were always about how the president should 'just do [something]'. Now he's suddenly realizing that on the world stage, there are no laws, and anyone can really just do what they want, and he has no leverage over them, other than war, which his own people don't want him to use.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I understand that tough talk and actions resonate with you, but I fail to see how Trump's actions could possibly be defined as such. His actions seem more like appeasement, don't they?

Are the sanctions still in place? Check. Is NK still complaining? Check. Appeasement? Nope!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

North Korea fired off some small weapons.... disturbed some people but NOT ME!

Wow! I cannot believe this remarks came from the mouth of POTUS! Anyway Mr.Trump your common sense has avoided a castastropic conflict with Russia and China over North Korea crisis! Your disregard of John Bolton's madness made the world respect you in some kind of way!  One day the four most powerful nuclear leaders(Putin,XI,K.J.U,Trump) will met in a resort because they have a common views and values!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me," Trump tweeted

What if Iran fired the same small weapons

But then again, there's no oil or Israel in East Asia, just East Asians

0 ( +0 / -0 )

lostrune2

What if Iran fired the same small weapons

The President listed all of Iran's involvement in and sponsoring of Terrorism in the Middle East during his reply to the question of Iran in that speech. The money they got from Obama bought a lot of missiles.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I think he really has no idea what he's doing or what to do next.

It’s ok, this is why Presidents have advisors, but he does have the final say, either way, it wouldn’t matter what he did, you’d still wouldn’t agree and that’s ok, but please just be honest. Whatever he does wouldn’t make a difference to you, if he’s calling Kim out and pushing back against him, he’s going to get us into a war, he wants dialogue then you guys get mad and say, he needs to be more tough, please make up your minds already.

He only knows leverage and is useless without it. He cannot negotiate anything on equal ground.

Wonder who could......

Of course we complained. He was using Twitter for bombastic anti-diplomacy, making up names like a 3rd grader, and threatening genocide. He was conducting himself like an idiot.

Deal with it, he’s the President, he can do that, especially if the media continue their jihad against this President don’t bank on him giving up on Twitter, I don’t think he should, I know I wouldn’t.

Now we have the Appeaser in Chief, giving concessions with nothing in return.

Absolutely not no sanctions were given into no sanctions were relieved all the sanctions are still there in place.

Think about what he just did. "North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me." It's like he just gave North Korea a green light for short range missile testing while standing on Japanese soil. Add that to everything else.

The president should try to hold out and give in to as much dialogue as he possibly can, it actually doesn’t matter at all what liberals think because either way they’re never going like this president so childish and not even give them a single iota of a peace of mind, just do what he needs to do his supporters and a lot more independence of supporting him so good on him. As long as they keep the sanctions intact, Ken will always remain angry and act like a petulant little child and I understand he needs money and he needs to take care of his military as well as to keep up his lifestyle. But if he really truly wants an end to the century leave then he either must comply and denuclearize or he should be prepared to not only be aware the sanctions aren’t going anywhere, but more might be added. That’s how you do it, you don’t walk about and appease the enemy and allow them to grab and annex another country which the previous President allowed.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I prefer Trump keeping the dialogue on going and to keep those sanctions in place and “if” he doesn’t comply, add more crippling sanctions. Carrot and stick approach.

I'm fairly sure you were against dialogue in the past. Why the change of heart?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What if Iran fired the same small weapons*

The President listed all of Iran's involvement in and sponsoring of Terrorism in the Middle East during his reply to the question of Iran in that speech. The money they got from Obama bought a lot of missiles.

And if Iran test-fires those same small missiles? Is it gonna be downplayed too?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites