# North Korea suspending missile testing and closing nuclear site; Trump the statesman? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 20, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829 "2018-04-20T23:09:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/201 "2018-05-07T03:02:42Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > This is entire thread was STARTED based on someone claiming exactly that. Who could that person possibly be, and could he possibly be invited back to the thread to share why he felt Kim Jong Un was being utterly truthful when he claimed North Korea was ending their nuclear ambitions? Could you provide a quote where that person said Kim “was being utterly truthful” or is this a false accusation? ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/202 "2018-05-07T05:26:54Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Could you provide a quote where that person said Kim “was being utterly truthful” or is this a false accusation? You sure don’t seem to be claiming otherwise in your OP. Did I miss some part where you claimed Kim Jong Un has been known to lie before or renege on deals? > [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > [source](http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/04/20/north-korea-announces-end-to-missile-testing-as-trump-cites-big-progress.html) > > I’m rather pleasantly surprised with the progress Trump has made on the North Korean front. This appears, at least to me, to be the most significant progress towards denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula that has made in the last couple of decades. Am I missing something here, or is this good news? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/203 "2018-05-07T06:04:00Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > You sure don’t seem to be claiming otherwise in your OP. Did I miss some part where you claimed Kim Jong Un has been known to lie before or renege on deals? Just so we’re perfectly clear, “you don’t seem to be claiming otherwise” does not, in any way, shape, or form constitute a claim by me that Kim “was being utterly truthful”. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/204 "2018-05-07T06:18:56Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Just so we’re perfectly clear, “you don’t seem to be claiming otherwise” does not, in any way, shape, or form constitute a claim by me that Kim “was being utterly truthful”. Then why use his statement in an attempt to claim Trump is wonderful? Either he was a liar when you used his statement, or he wasn’t a liar, and Trump is a chump who’s getting played yet again. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/205 "2018-05-09T03:53:21Z")
More good news (even if still not complete): [Pompeo to return from North Korea with 3 US captives: South Korea](http://thehill.com/policy/international/386841-pompeo-to-return-from-north-korea-with-3-us-captives-south-korean) > [@](#): > > Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will return from North Korea with three U.S. citizens currently imprisoned in the country, according to a South Korean official. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/206 "2018-05-09T09:59:05Z")
Good for them - if they come home I will be pleased. What’s the over-under on Trump continuing to claim they were all imprisoned during the Obama administration? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/207 "2018-05-09T10:49:06Z")
Yes, that is a diplomatic breakthrough. A shame that if Trump and Bolton had their way, the State Department would be so throughly evicerated that in a few years time, such victories would be much more difficult. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/208 "2018-05-09T13:44:54Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Yes, that is a diplomatic breakthrough. > > A shame that if Trump and Bolton had their way, the State Department would be so throughly evicerated that in a few years time, such victories would be much more difficult. My understanding is that Obama had a fully-staffed State Department and did not achieve a breakthrough like this, but President Trump has an understaffed one and did. Perhaps President Trump’s method is better. At the very least, it seems to be working for him (and the prisoners being released). ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/209 "2018-05-09T13:59:49Z")
You know he lied about that, right? About how the prisoners were Obama’s fault, but two of them weren’t even prisoners yet while Obama was Prez? You do know about that, yes? That’s part of your “understanding”? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/210 "2018-05-09T14:54:39Z")
I realize that some people may be preoccupied with the ongoing war with [del]Eurasia[/del] Eastasia but [it’s not as if](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_imprisonment_of_American_journalists_by_North_Korea) [there weren’t any](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Park_(activist)) [[URL=“https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrill\_Newman”]prisoners released from North Korea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aijalon_Gomes) [during the Obama administration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Todd_Miller). I mean, even [Dennis Rodman managed to get one released](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Bae). What’s his State Department like? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/211 "2018-05-09T15:20:33Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > My understanding is that Obama had a fully-staffed State Department and did not achieve a breakthrough like this, but President Trump has an understaffed one and did. Perhaps President Trump’s method is better. At the very least, it seems to be working for him (and the prisoners being released). > [@Gyrate](#): > > I realize that some people may be preoccupied with the ongoing war with [del]Eurasia[/del] Eastasia but [it’s not as if](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_imprisonment_of_American_journalists_by_North_Korea) [there weren’t any](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Park_(activist)) [[URL=“https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrill\_Newman”]prisoners released from North Korea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aijalon_Gomes) [during the Obama administration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Todd_Miller). > > I mean, even [Dennis Rodman managed to get one released](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Bae). What’s his State Department like? So, now your understanding has changed, right? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/212 "2018-05-09T16:00:44Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I realize that some people may be preoccupied with the ongoing war with [del]Eurasia[/del] Eastasia but [it’s not as if](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_imprisonment_of_American_journalists_by_North_Korea) [there weren’t any](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Park_(activist)) [[URL=“https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrill\_Newman”]prisoners released from North Korea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aijalon_Gomes) [during the Obama administration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Todd_Miller). > > I mean, even [Dennis Rodman managed to get one released](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Bae). What’s his State Department like? Their releases weren’t reported on FOX News so they don’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/213 "2018-05-09T16:04:14Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > My understanding is that Obama had a fully-staffed State Department and did not achieve a breakthrough like this, but President Trump has an understaffed one and did. Perhaps President Trump’s method is better. At the very least, it seems to be working for him (and the prisoners being released). I’ve said it a half dozen times already, but the parable of the fly on the axle of the chariot commenting on what a dust he raises should be the recurring theme for most of Trump’s so-called accomplishments. I believe the maturity of North Korea’s nuclear and missile program is the major reason they are coming to the table. For years, people have been saying that Kim will not negotiate until he has a certain amount of confidence in his nuclear deterrent. If we had a different President - say, Clinton, Jill Stein, Rand Paul, Obama, Oliver North - I think we would see North Korea coming to the table around about this time. Maybe the sanctions brought them to the table a little earlier, it is possible. But I’m also not sure we have full visibility of how much better the developments would have been if we hadn’t gone 15 months searching for a Trump toady to serve as ambassador to South Korea. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/214 "2018-05-09T16:08:56Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > My understanding is that Obama had a fully-staffed State Department and did not achieve a breakthrough like this, but President Trump has an understaffed one and did. Perhaps President Trump’s method is better. At the very least, it seems to be working for him (and the prisoners being released). As mentioned by **elucidator** [New York Times.](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/09/world/asia/north-korea-americans-detainees-released.html) > [@](#): > > South Korea welcomed the release of the prisoners — **two of whom were arrested during Mr. Trump’s presidency** — calling it “very positive for a successful North Korean-United States summit,” said Yoon Young-chan, a spokesman for President Moon Jae-in. Did you blame Trump for their capture? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/215 "2018-05-09T17:05:54Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > So, now your understanding has changed, right? Yes, it appears that an administration can achieve “such victories” with or without a fully-staffed State Department. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/216 "2018-05-09T17:13:22Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Yes, it appears that an administration can achieve “such victories” with or without a fully-staffed State Department. Secretary of Defense James Mattis has repeatedly said, “If you don’t fully fund the State Department, then I need to buy more ammunition.” Do you maintain he is wrong? I would note that Trump seems to agree with him, in that he proposes to cut diplomacy and buy more weapons. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/217 "2018-05-09T17:18:13Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Yes, it appears that an administration can achieve “such victories” with or without a fully-staffed State Department. And is it now your understanding that Obama DID, in fact, achieve “such victories”? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/218 "2018-05-09T17:27:36Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > … Did you blame Trump for their capture? No. So far as I know, he had not much of anything to do with their arrests / “capture” ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/219 "2018-05-09T17:32:42Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Secretary of Defense James Mattis has repeatedly said, “If you don’t fully fund the State Department, then I need to buy more ammunition.” Do you maintain he is wrong? > > I would note that Trump seems to agree with him, in that he proposes to cut diplomacy and buy more weapons. So far as I know Mattis only said it once (not “repeatedly”) and went on to say “The more that we put into the State Department’s diplomacy, hopefully the less we have to put into a military budget …”. I’d agree with him that “hopefully” additional diplomacy will lessen the need for military action. That appears to be the case we have unfolding before us on the Korean Peninsula, regardless of the State Department’s staffing / funding levels. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/220 "2018-05-09T17:33:50Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > And is it now your understanding that Obama DID, in fact, achieve “such victories”? Yes, at least on the prisoner-release front: there were several released during Obama’s administration too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829.md?page=12)