International diplomacy is very structured dance. Certain moves mean certain things and certain actions draw preprogrammed responses. What we actually see is not always what is actually happening, and when a diplomatic breakthrough is announced, chances are it was achieved long before the person announcing it arrived on the scene. Sometimes what looks like a really good thing in one aspect has undercurrents that are not positive. That is what happened with the visit to North Korea by President Clinton.
Today's New York Post has an article by Gordon Cucullu, author of "Separated at Birth: How North Korea Became the Evil Twin." The article deals with the implications of the Clinton visit to North Korea. Mr. Cucullu points out that:
"It didn't take long to learn at least the first concession. President Obama has broken with past US policy to agree to bilateral talks with North Korea -- a diplomatic plum that Kim Jong Il has sought for years, and a
major coup in his attempt to nail down the succession of his 26-year-old son, Kim Jong Un."
Mr. Cucullu also points out that National Security Adviser James Jones has said that no official messages were delivered and no promises made during President Clinton's visit--it was a private visit. Mr. Jones also claimed that the bilateral talks were also coordinated with our allies. Mr. Cucullu points out:
"In fact, genuine coordination would require considerably more diplomacy than could be mounted in the days since Clinton's return. So it's most likely we simply informed those "allies" of a fait accompli -- a slap in the face for our actual allies (South Korea, Japan), and cause for triumphal smiles for the Chinese and Russians."
Why are we throwing our friends under the bus and doing things that make our enemies happy? Have we reached a point in our nation's history where we close our eyes to the fact that we have enemies?
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