President Trump Becomes The First American President To Step Into North Korean Territory.

[anotheoldgit]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7196873/Trump-wont-say-sure-Kim-Jong-trip-DMZ.html

[TonyV]

yes aog another feather in Trumps hat for next years USA election.

[Gromit]

From...
// North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works! //

To...
// "Big moment... Tremendous progress," Mr Trump said.

Good to see you again. I never expected to meet you at this place," a smiley Mr Kim told Mr Trump through an interpreter in an encounter broadcast live on international television.
Mr Kim, looking relaxed, then crossed into South Korea, and alongside Mr Trump said: "I believe this is an expression of his willingness to eliminate all the unfortunate past and open a new future."
Speaking alongside Mr Trump in a rare statement to the press, Mr Kim said this was a symbol of their "excellent" relationship. //

Trump certainly is an enigma.

[jim360]

This, and Trump's recent decision to resume negotiations with China and reverse the decision to blacklist Huawei, make for some surprising decisions to say the least. Who knows what will come of it? At the moment just looks like a photo opportunity for both sides, but mainly for Kim.

Still, if it does end up leading somewhere positive then it would be worth all the flip-flopping.

[naomi24]

//Trump certainly is an enigma. //

He certainly is.

[Paigntonian]

Got to a case of Jaw Jaw better than War War. Whatever Trump's motivation, if it ultimately leads to a de-escalation of tensions and even the liberation of the North Korean people then we should wish him all the best.

[ToraToraTora]

if Obama had done this jim and Gromit would be purring! PMSL!

[Bigbad]

I’m no fan of Mr. Trump, but if nothing else, it’s a positive rather than a negative.
I’ve just watched the BBC newsreader interview a Korean “expert.”
When the latter said that the footage looked like “a scene from the Gunfight at the OK Corral” they both both laughed about it. Shameful.

[jim360]

Obama didn't do it so we won't get a chance to test that theory. But my point here is the lack of consistency. In 2017 Trump was more or less threatening Nuclear War. In early 2018 it seemed that we'd moved to a position where North Korea might denuclearise, which would have been brilliant -- except in the event the historic summit between the two led to very little of substance and arguably saw the US gave too much away. Then in the next meeting Trump walked away quickly. Not unreasonably either, since it seemed earlier that North Korea had promised much but delivered little. And now Kim Jong-Un offers Trump a photo opportunity and he pirouettes again. What next? There's no consistency at all here, and I think it's quite reasonable to question if Trump actually has a plan here.

It's the same with Huawei. I'm not really following that story fully, but as far as I was aware the US had declared Huawei to be a security threat, and was trying to persuade other countries of the dangers they posed if allowed too much access to 5G networks, to the extent of stopping US companies from dealing with Huawei. All of that has been undone after basically two hours of conversation in which I'm not sure that China's promised anything, and makes a mockery of US intelligence in the process. Do we really think that if Huawei posed a security risk before then anything President Xi says is worth listening to? Trump was better sticking to his earlier line.

Also, consider the situation in Iran. Trump has walked away from the Iran Deal, then criticises Iran for breaking it, and was essentially 10 minutes away from open hostilities. Given how Trump's reacting to Kim's overtures, what if Rouhani or Khomeini tried the same thing? Offer Trump a handshake and a photo op and then everything changes. Wouldn't surprise me in the world. US foreign policy at the moment feels whimsical rather than considered, and that's worrying.

[naomi24]

//In 2017 Trump was more or less threatening Nuclear War. //

He called their bluff - and well done him.

[jim360]

Having said that, I do hope this leads somewhere positive. My point is that after all the flip-flopping, what guarantees does anyone have that it really *will* lead anywhere? I hope I'm wrong, of course. But whatever you think of Trump, the fact is that his policy on North Korea could change again tomorrow, and then once more the day after, and so on. Where is his plan?

[jim360]

// //In 2017 Trump was more or less threatening Nuclear War. //

He called their bluff - and well done him. //

Did he, though? I'd have said it looks more like the other way round, if anything. North Korea got as far as developing the weaponry needed to launch at least medium-range strikes, then were happy to pursue peace talks. Talks at which the US agreed, among other things, to cease joint military exercises with South Korea -- a huge concession, and notably one made without even bothering to ask the South Koreans.

[anotheoldgit]

jim360

/// Talks at which the US agreed, among other things, to cease joint military exercises with South Korea -- a huge concession, and notably one made without even bothering to ask the South Koreans. ///

How could you possibly know that Trump hasn't even bothered to ask the South Koreans?

President Trump has been in talks with the South Korean President, Moon Jae-in and as a result of those talks President Trump is now acting as a
go-between with Kim Jong-un.

[jim360]

It was reported that the specific offer in the 2018 summit to cancel the joint exercises came from Trump alone, and not from either his military advisers or the South Koreans:

https://www.apnews.com/c4c30dbcc81c458c9ea12b63716c1317

Indeed the South Koreans have been heavily involved in the peace process, but on that particular aspect, as I say, they were certainly caught off-guard.

[Khandro]

When you've got 'em by the balls, their hearts and minds soon follow.

[jourdain2]

Like him or loathe him you have to hand it to Trump. Some result!

[jim360]

It's only a result if it leads somewhere. For now it's just a photo op. Let us hope that it becomes more. But I'd hoped that we'd learned the lessons from recent history to give people credit after they're achieved something, rather than before -- Obama being a good case in point, who more or less got the Peace Prize for the sole reason that he was the first Black POTUS.

[albaqwerty]

could it be a not-so-subtle way to indicate to S. Korea to keep behaving for some strange reason?

I have no idea what assets the US have in that area and if they could cause a blip.

[naomi24]

Jim, //Did he, [Trump call Kim’s bluff] though?//

Yes, he did. The sabre-rattling came from North Korea.

// It's only a result if it leads somewhere.//

Mr Trump couldn’t expect credit from Jim in any circumstances. Is Trump bovvered? Doubt it. :o)

[sanmac]

Didn't President Clinton visit North Korea?

[naomi24]

I don't think he was president when he visited.