Upcoming
Canada
0-0
Morocco
Source: ESPN
Drama being played to resolve crisis in Korean Peninsula
Mohammad Amjad Hossain :
There is glimmer of hope that proposed summit between US President Donald Trump and Chairman of North Korean state affairs commission Kim Jong-Un is likely to take place on 12 June in Singapore or delayed for some days instead of poor gamesmanship displayed by signing a letter on 24 May cancelling proposed summit on 12 June by US President. This new trend appears following surprise second summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-In and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-Un at Panmungak, a North Korean building inside the border village of Panmunjom on 27 May. South Korean President was guided by sister of Kim Jong-Un to North Korean building. Both the leaders discussed implementation of Panmunjom declaration signed on 27 April. Both the leaders are seen hugging each other. This meeting took place against the backdrop of huge protest demonstrations in Seoul in front of US embassy as a result of cancellation of proposed summit between US and North Korean leaders.
President Donald Trump has cancelled proposed summit with Chairman of North Korean state affairs commission on 24 May possibly in view of face saving formula, but he has assured North Korean leader to back to negotiating table at an appropriate time if he so desires. President Donald Trump has become victim of both his National Security Advisor Mr. John Bolton, a hawk and Vice-President Mike Pence. President of South Korea Moon Jae-In, who just returned to Seoul after having dialogue with President Trump in White House expressed surprise in cancelling summit on 12 June and added that the denuclearization of Korean peninsula and ensuring permanent peace are historic tasks that could not be delayed or forsaken.
In view of the comments made by Mr. John Bolton, National Security adviser of the President Trump, who is on record saying a Libya style solution could work with North Korea while in his Memoir John Bolton boasted about his effort in torpedoing the deal with North Korea initiated by the State department during reign of President George Bush when he served as US Ambassador to the United Nations. As a result, proposed second high-level meeting with South Korean has been cancelled on the pretext of holding joint air forces exercise in Seoul by the United States. This has happened instead of goodwill shown by North Korea in releasing three American from jail following discussion with special envoy of President Trump who was Director of CIA, Pike Pompeo. On his second visit to Pyongyang as Secretary of State three Americans returned to the United States. Added to this rhetoric Vice-President Mike Pence in an TV interviews on 22 March described Libya model would be more appropriate to denuclearize North Korea. This will only end like the Libya model ended if Kim Jong does not make it, Vice-President added. This statement following the visit of South Korean President Moon Jae-In to the White House on 22 May sparked fire in North Korea.
In view of invective against Trump administration which has been reflected in the comments by North Korean Vice-Foreign Minister and longtime negotiator on nuclear weapons Choe Son-Hui, who is reported to have stated on 24 May that “North Korea would not beg for dialogue and warned of a nuclear showdown if plan for denuclearization failed”. She further added as a person involved in US affairs,” I could not suppress my surprise at such ignorant and stupid remarks gushing from the mouth of US Vice-President.” This is the second time such negative statement flows from North Korea following the remarks passed by first Vice-Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan threatening to scrape the summit if Pyongyang was pushed towards unilateral nuclear abandonment.
Both John Bolton, National Security adviser and Vice-President Pence are on the wrong side of history. There should not be any comparison with assassinated Moammar Gaddafi of Libya who was killed by NATO forces in 2011 to save Libya from political turmoil while surrendered his nuclear materials and equipment without making long range ballistic missiles to joint command of the United Kingdom and the United States for destruction in 2003. In fact, negotiation with Moammar Gaddafi was carried out by flamboyant Saudi Arabia Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who had served as Ambassador to the United States for about two decades and Chief of Saudi Intelligence community.Gaddafi did not produced intercontinental ballistic missiles nor any bomb but North Korea has become nuclear state by now.
There should not be any confusion that agreement signed by South Korean President Moon Jae-In and Kim Jong Un, Chairman of state affairs committee of Democratic Republic of Korea on 27 April at Panmunjom is meant to denuclearize Korean peninsula. In spite of negative trend in the United States President Trump is looking forward to bright future of North Korean who melt down the rhetoric by saying he was not pursuing the Libya model in North Korea while his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has adopted a more diplomatic approach, saying an agreement with North Korean Kim Jong Un to abandon nuclear weapons could lead to economic assistance.
Ice again has started melting down in Korean Peninsula when first Vice-Foreign Minister Kim Kye-Gwan is reported to have expressed their willingness to sit down face to face with United States and resolve issues any time and in any format in spite of negative trend in the United States. Flurry of diplomatic activities are taking place to prepare summit in Singapore on schedule as US Ambassador to the Philippines, Sung Kim, who has extensive experience on the affairs of North Korea, is now visiting Pyongyang to finalize details of denuclearization deal with leader of North Korea while Kim Young Chol, Vice-Chairman of North Korean working Party’s Central committee is reaching US to discuss details about the proposed summit.
In spite of criticism by some Republican lawmakers against reversal of cancellation of the summit hope is still there to make an agreement with North Korea to dismantle nuclear weapons. If an agreement is signed with Chairman of North Korean state affairs commission, a new chapter will be signed in diplomatic arena after failure of 30 years of diplomacy. This writer would give credit to President of South Korea Moon Jae-In for his sagacious effort to bring peace in Korean peninsula by signing Panmunjom declaration for peace, prosperity and unification on the Korean Peninsula on 27 April this year. Panmunjom declaration is likely to be the basis of denuclearization of Korean peninsula.
(Mohammad Amjad Hossain, retired diplomat from Bangladesh and writes from Virginia, USA)
There is glimmer of hope that proposed summit between US President Donald Trump and Chairman of North Korean state affairs commission Kim Jong-Un is likely to take place on 12 June in Singapore or delayed for some days instead of poor gamesmanship displayed by signing a letter on 24 May cancelling proposed summit on 12 June by US President. This new trend appears following surprise second summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-In and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-Un at Panmungak, a North Korean building inside the border village of Panmunjom on 27 May. South Korean President was guided by sister of Kim Jong-Un to North Korean building. Both the leaders discussed implementation of Panmunjom declaration signed on 27 April. Both the leaders are seen hugging each other. This meeting took place against the backdrop of huge protest demonstrations in Seoul in front of US embassy as a result of cancellation of proposed summit between US and North Korean leaders.
President Donald Trump has cancelled proposed summit with Chairman of North Korean state affairs commission on 24 May possibly in view of face saving formula, but he has assured North Korean leader to back to negotiating table at an appropriate time if he so desires. President Donald Trump has become victim of both his National Security Advisor Mr. John Bolton, a hawk and Vice-President Mike Pence. President of South Korea Moon Jae-In, who just returned to Seoul after having dialogue with President Trump in White House expressed surprise in cancelling summit on 12 June and added that the denuclearization of Korean peninsula and ensuring permanent peace are historic tasks that could not be delayed or forsaken.
In view of the comments made by Mr. John Bolton, National Security adviser of the President Trump, who is on record saying a Libya style solution could work with North Korea while in his Memoir John Bolton boasted about his effort in torpedoing the deal with North Korea initiated by the State department during reign of President George Bush when he served as US Ambassador to the United Nations. As a result, proposed second high-level meeting with South Korean has been cancelled on the pretext of holding joint air forces exercise in Seoul by the United States. This has happened instead of goodwill shown by North Korea in releasing three American from jail following discussion with special envoy of President Trump who was Director of CIA, Pike Pompeo. On his second visit to Pyongyang as Secretary of State three Americans returned to the United States. Added to this rhetoric Vice-President Mike Pence in an TV interviews on 22 March described Libya model would be more appropriate to denuclearize North Korea. This will only end like the Libya model ended if Kim Jong does not make it, Vice-President added. This statement following the visit of South Korean President Moon Jae-In to the White House on 22 May sparked fire in North Korea.
In view of invective against Trump administration which has been reflected in the comments by North Korean Vice-Foreign Minister and longtime negotiator on nuclear weapons Choe Son-Hui, who is reported to have stated on 24 May that “North Korea would not beg for dialogue and warned of a nuclear showdown if plan for denuclearization failed”. She further added as a person involved in US affairs,” I could not suppress my surprise at such ignorant and stupid remarks gushing from the mouth of US Vice-President.” This is the second time such negative statement flows from North Korea following the remarks passed by first Vice-Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan threatening to scrape the summit if Pyongyang was pushed towards unilateral nuclear abandonment.
Both John Bolton, National Security adviser and Vice-President Pence are on the wrong side of history. There should not be any comparison with assassinated Moammar Gaddafi of Libya who was killed by NATO forces in 2011 to save Libya from political turmoil while surrendered his nuclear materials and equipment without making long range ballistic missiles to joint command of the United Kingdom and the United States for destruction in 2003. In fact, negotiation with Moammar Gaddafi was carried out by flamboyant Saudi Arabia Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who had served as Ambassador to the United States for about two decades and Chief of Saudi Intelligence community.Gaddafi did not produced intercontinental ballistic missiles nor any bomb but North Korea has become nuclear state by now.
There should not be any confusion that agreement signed by South Korean President Moon Jae-In and Kim Jong Un, Chairman of state affairs committee of Democratic Republic of Korea on 27 April at Panmunjom is meant to denuclearize Korean peninsula. In spite of negative trend in the United States President Trump is looking forward to bright future of North Korean who melt down the rhetoric by saying he was not pursuing the Libya model in North Korea while his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has adopted a more diplomatic approach, saying an agreement with North Korean Kim Jong Un to abandon nuclear weapons could lead to economic assistance.
Ice again has started melting down in Korean Peninsula when first Vice-Foreign Minister Kim Kye-Gwan is reported to have expressed their willingness to sit down face to face with United States and resolve issues any time and in any format in spite of negative trend in the United States. Flurry of diplomatic activities are taking place to prepare summit in Singapore on schedule as US Ambassador to the Philippines, Sung Kim, who has extensive experience on the affairs of North Korea, is now visiting Pyongyang to finalize details of denuclearization deal with leader of North Korea while Kim Young Chol, Vice-Chairman of North Korean working Party’s Central committee is reaching US to discuss details about the proposed summit.
In spite of criticism by some Republican lawmakers against reversal of cancellation of the summit hope is still there to make an agreement with North Korea to dismantle nuclear weapons. If an agreement is signed with Chairman of North Korean state affairs commission, a new chapter will be signed in diplomatic arena after failure of 30 years of diplomacy. This writer would give credit to President of South Korea Moon Jae-In for his sagacious effort to bring peace in Korean peninsula by signing Panmunjom declaration for peace, prosperity and unification on the Korean Peninsula on 27 April this year. Panmunjom declaration is likely to be the basis of denuclearization of Korean peninsula.
(Mohammad Amjad Hossain, retired diplomat from Bangladesh and writes from Virginia, USA)
