The Mistaken View the World Wishes to Impose

 

Eight European Union member states, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany and Italy, on Tuesday warned that US President Donald Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century” would fail unless it is based on the internationally agreed parameters, whatever that means. We will be including the statement made by United States Ambassador to the United Nations to the Security Council on the obsession of the United Nations, and she may as well have added the European Union and the majority of the world. US Special Envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt tweeted in response to Haley’s speech: “Thank you Nikki Halley for your friendship, leadership, support and vision. Wishing you all the best in your promising future!” The below may have been her parting shot though we would not even begin to rule out at least one or two more broadsides against that body which she has witnessed in close contact for the last number of years. The eight European Union members released statement read, “We, the European Union members of the Council, would like to reiterate once more and emphasize the EU’s strong continued commitment to the internationally agreed parameters for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on international law, relevant UN resolutions and previous agreements.” This is the usual copout which provides cover for the Arab world, and the Palestinian Authority leadership, to reject any peace agreement which permits the existence of the Jews ruling their own nation. This is Euroweenie speak for we support the obliteration of the Jewish state but are too mealy-mouthed to actually say what we mean.

 

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley

 

But they had more to say as they added just for further emphasis, “The EU is truly convinced that the achievement of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as the capital of both States, that meets Israeli and Palestinian security needs and Palestinian aspirations for statehood and sovereignty, ends the occupation and resolves all final status issues, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2334 and previous agreements, is the only viable and realistic way to end the conflict and to achieve just and lasting peace.” First, International Law does not demand any return to the pre-Six Day War border, the armistice line from the failed 1948 Arab attempt to wipe out the Jews immediately after their independence and then the Arab nations of Jordan in the Shomron and Egypt in Gaza occupying land legally belonging to the Jewish State. Their cowardly reference to President Obama’s parting shot in an attempt to circumvent International Law with UNSC Res. 2334 as they are as aware as anyone knowledgeable on the actual history that that resolution was contrary to UN Charter Article 80 under which the United Nations is to support and enforce the Mandates which gave the eastern border of Israel as the Jordan River. The attempts to destroy Israel started with the chopping off of 78% of the British Mandate in order to form an Arab state presumably for establishing the two state solution as well as fulfilling the British promise to the Hashemites. Any making of yet another two state solution is, in reality, the making of a three state solution, Jordan and whatever the second Arab state will be called with Israel being chopped up further. Then there will be a call for a third Arab state in Gaza and whatever part of the Negev which the world feels is appropriate to allow Hamas and Islamic Jihad their state. Then the question will be what the next concept that the world led by the Europeans can invent to chop up Israel even further with such continuing until the Jews all live in one tower in central Tel Aviv, and then they will start demanding that the Jews surrender floors of that building.

 

There have been some conservative radio talk show hosts, rumored to include Michael Savage and Rush Limbaugh, who have predicted what may eventually become reality predicting that the Arab-Israeli conflict will only end after one side wins such a decisive victory over the other with ramifications which leave the other side feeling decimated. They stated that either the world will witness a second Holocaust with the Jews of Israel being slaughtered down to the last man, women and child or the Arabs forces being so totally defeated that the Arab world would be incapable of mounting sufficient force to counter even the slightest uprising of their own people. One can hope that this is not what will become reality. Israel has proven repeatedly their desire for peace with the only proviso that their borders be defensible and that the Jordan River valley remain under IDF control to make the eastern border defensible and that the Judean hills overlooking Tel Aviv and the central region of Israel, making them vulnerable, remain under Israeli control. The Oslo Accords were designed such that Israel was to retain control of Area C while Area B was to be negotiated to establish the border and Area A was to remain as part of the Palestinian state and Israel has stated they would surrender some areas such that the Palestinian regions would have a smoothed border and all would be connected directly. Both sides were to make agreements on mutual use of certain main roads to allow for easy movement for both peoples. The reason for the Jordan River valley and the overlooking highlands becomes obvious when one looks at a cutaway of the region as it defends an insurmountable barrier to any attack from the east (shown below). This minimal set of demands is what is required for Israeli borders to be defensible, presumably another promise which is turning out to be just as meaningless as every other promise the world has given the Jews.

 

Cutaway View of Tactical Advantage and Necessity
of the Jordan Valley and Judean Hills for Defending
Coastal Plains and Israel Alongside the Mediterranean Sea

 

The reality is that should the world actually honor their promises made during the San Remo Conference, the Mandate System, Article 80 of the UN Charter, the Treaty of Sèvres, The Anglo American Treaty and numerous other agreements, then the Jordan River would be the eastern border for Israel and the Arabs of the Palestinian Authority would be granted legal alien resident status by which they would rule themselves while the lands would still be under Israel national control. This would in no way take away their land as they would continue to own their lands and elect their own government or have whatever governance they chose, but the region would legally be part of Israel. The best solution of this would be to return Jordanian citizenship to the Palestinian Arabs which they had when Jordan occupied this part of Israel and forcefully transferred many of these Arab into the region. We are not holding out breath waiting for the world to honor promises which the world had given to the Jewish People represented by the Zionist Congress. That includes the British promise that they would defend the border for Israel being the Jordan River which was part of the agreement when Jordan was gifted 78% of the British Mandate. Living up to promises given the Jewish People has been a problem for the world with one exception, Cyrus the Great when he allowed the Jews to return and rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem back in or about 600 BCE.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Outgoing US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley addressed the UN Security Council recently stating as follows in a transcript as reported here.

 

“The problems of the Middle East are numerous, and yet we spend a vastly disproportionate amount of time on just one of them. The UN has shown itself to be hopelessly biased, as we witnessed again just two weeks ago when the General Assembly failed to even condemn Hamas’s terrorism against Israel.

“Most of the region’s problems have nothing to do with the Israel-Palestinian conflict…. The UN [should] move away from its obsession with Israel. This UN obsession has been entirely unproductive. It’s actually worse than that. The UN’s obsession with this issue has been counterproductive. It has sent a loud and false message to the Palestinians that they might be able to achieve their goals by relying on the UN, rather than through direct negotiations. And it has sent a loud and accurate message to the Israelis that they can never trust the UN.

“Israel is a thriving, strong, prosperous country. It has always wanted peace with its neighbors. It has clearly demonstrated its willingness to make big sacrifices for peace, including giving up large areas of land. No UN resolutions, anti-Semitic boycotts, or terrorist threats will change that. Throughout its existence, and even today, Israel has been surrounded by threats to its security. It would be foolish for it to make a deal that weakened its security. And yet, even in the face of constant threats, Israel has become one of the leading nations of the world. It wants a peace agreement, but it does not need one.

“And then there are the Palestinian people. Like the Israelis, they are a deservedly proud people. They too do not need to accept a peace agreement at any price. Terrorists rule much of the territory, undermining the safety of all civilians. The Palestinian people are suffering terribly, while their leadership clings to fifty-year old demands that have only become less and less realistic. What awaits the Palestinian people with a peace agreement are the prospects of a massive improvement in the quality of their lives and far greater control over their political future.
“It is time we faced a hard truth: both sides would benefit greatly from a peace agreement, but the Palestinians would benefit more, and the Israelis would risk more. Unlike previous attempts at addressing this conflict, this plan is not just a few pages, containing unspecific and unimaginative guidelines. It is much longer. It contains much more thoughtful detail. It recognizes that realities on the ground in the Middle East have changed in powerful and important ways. This plan will be different from all previous ones. The critical question is whether the response to it will be any different. There are things in the plan that every party will like, and there are things that every party will not like. That is certainly true for the Israelis and the Palestinians; but it is also true for every country in the world that has taken an interest in this subject.

“Every country or party will therefore have an important choice to make. They can focus on the parts of the plan they dislike. For irresponsible parties, that would be the easiest thing to do. Just reject the plan because it does not satisfy all of your demands. Then we would return to the failed status quo of the last fifty years with no prospects for change. The other choice is to focus on the parts of the plan that you do like and to encourage negotiations to move forward. And I assure you there is a lot for both sides to like. Ultimately, as always, the final decisions can only be made by the parties themselves. Israelis and Palestinians will decide their own futures. They will decide what sacrifices they are willing to make. And they will need leaders with real vision to do it.

“But my friends at the United Nations — in particular my Arab and European friends – will also play an important part. You will face the same choice. The choice between a hopeful future that sheds the tired, old, and unrealistic demands of the past, or a darker future that sticks with the proven failed talking points of the past.
“The world will be watching.

“More importantly, the Palestinians and Israelis will be watching. Their response can be affected by your response. I have heard privately from many Arab Ambassadors that they know a solution is urgently needed. But your governments have not been willing to talk to your constituencies about what is realistic, or to the Palestinian leadership about the harm they are doing to their own people. By taking the easy way, you are really saying the Palestinian people are not a priority for you. Because if they were, you would all be in a room helping bring both sides to the table.

“As for the American people, we have demonstrated time and again our commitment to peace in the Middle East. We will continue to offer our hand in friendship to the Palestinian people, whom we have financially supported by far more than any other country has done. The Palestinians have everything to gain by engaging in peace negotiations. But whatever it is that others decide, the world must know that America will remain steadfast in our support for Israel, its people, and its security. That is an unshakable bond between our two peoples. And it is that bond – more than anything else — that makes peace possible.”

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

John Bolton and His Possible First Assignment

 

Numbers of friends asked when John Bolton was chosen to be National Security Adviser to President Trump why was he chosen for this position. The first thing I informed them was that President Trump desired to have Bolton onboard to take care of specific situations and problems but knew there would be heavy push back if he required being confirmed by the Senate. If you believe that the Kavanaugh situation turned ugly, had John Bolton required confirmation, the Senate obstructionists and opposition to President Trump would have had a field day and do not even ask about the games the media would have played. For an introduction, read about his being appointed by President George W. Bush as Ambassador to the United Nations for a taste of the pushback. This was why he had to be appointed as the National Security Adviser simply because the position does not require Senate advise and consent hearings, or should we call them quarrelsome brouhaha. They found this informative but re-asked their question and added a, ‘why him’ to their query. Well, that I can answer with a single word, Israel. The Arab Israel Conflict resolution has become more than President Trump had bargained for and he decided it was time to call in a weapon of mass destruction, John Bolton. John Bolton has been added to the teams attempting to pry some agreement out of the Middle East which has hit snag after snag and apparently stymied the current members of the conflict resolution team. So, introducing John Bolton, a bombastic and extremely determined individual who is willing to bulldoze through all obstructions, blowing them from his path, and who has no problem imposing his will on even the most recalcitrant of individuals. John Bolton has been assigned to find the people willing to make an agreement, find some way of tying such an agreement together, implementing this agreement and then making it stick against all adversarial efforts which will assuredly be forthcoming, potentially in groups or potentially swarms. This is the job for which John Bolton has been hired.

 

National Security Adviser to President Trump John Bolton

 

Where is our proof that John Bolton was chosen as National Security Adviser simply to address the entire Arab Israeli conflict? Well, there was this report about the Trump-North Korea Summit which stated, “President Donald Trump’s Singapore summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was full of showmanship, featuring photo-ops, a long press conference, and one very unusual promotional video. But one player in the scene was surprisingly quiet: John Bolton, Trump’s national-security adviser.” Then additionally there have been his remarks of late. John Bolton attacked Iran calling them “the world’s central banker of international terrorism since 1979.” Addressing ramification of the threats by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to possibly incur the International Court of Justice in settling diplomatic disputes, he stated, “the so-called state of Palestine” challenging the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem at the international court, stating bluntly that “Palestine” is not a state. There was his commentary on Russia’s decision to provide Syria with advanced S-300 air defense systems is a “major mistake.” Have you noticed any common denominator in his commentary? All his remarks one could claim were made by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu instead of the United States National Security Adviser. The question is how it is thought that John Bolton, the one man with a distinctively favorable track record concerning Israel, will in any way find a better way for solving the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Would not the presence of John Bolton polarize and harden the Arabs in their positions?

 

Well, that brings on a simple answer. Could he actually make anything worse than the Khartoum Resolution and the Three No’s, “no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel.” Somehow, the Three No’s is a definitive statement which rules out any possible solution which would involve any of the members of the Arab League. Meanwhile, as we have reported on numerous occasions, Mahmoud Abbas, just as had Yasser Arafat before him, has a simple answer to any offer which meets every single of his demands, he walks away without any counteroffer and then refuses to negotiate and launches a terrorist offensive within the following three to four months claiming they are grassroots uprisings to protest the Israeli rejectionism at the previous negotiations. This is always picked up exactly as described by Abbas in the European media and the leftist media in the United States, Canada and the remainder of the Western World. Always, the reason given for ending any negotiations has been laid at the feet of Israel despite any reality proving otherwise. Yasser Arafat walked out in Paris, Mahmoud Abbas has simply refused to meet at all and explanations invariable blame Israel claiming Israel has not sacrificed or granted sufficient demands from the PA to make further negotiations even remotely advantageous. We would only be able to wonder and dream in order to find a single concession which the PA has ever granted Israel. If we could simply just be presented with a provable concession which has been made and followed through upon and not simply retracted as soon as they walked away from the negotiations, then there could be progress. We have been unable to find any such event.

 

We do remember the recounting by President William Jefferson Clinton of how after pressuring Yasser Arafat in Paris during the Camp David Accords negotiations and getting an exact description of his minimal acceptable agreement if only the Israelis truly desire peace. President Clinton tells that he then expected he would be required to exhort, cajole, urged and finally insist with it all in the hopes to have Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak meet Arafat’s demands. Well, Prime Minister Barak was said to have thought and with the slightest coaxing, he agreed to the demands for the minimum Arafat required for him to sign a peace agreement. The next morning, Yasser Arafat simply stalked across the room striding purposefully straight out the front door with Secretary of State Madeline Albright chasing after him unable to catch Arafat before he reached his waiting vehicle and headed to the airport and flew back to Jordan. That was the closest anybody may have come to finding the unfindable agreement. The simple truth is that there is but one thing the Arabs will accept, the complete destruction of Israel or turning it over to them to rule, either way, placing the Jews under the care, protection and wills of their Islamic betters. They state that as Dhimmis, the Jews will be treated with the extents of the Quran which makes Dhimmis a protected people as long as they pay a tax called the Jiyza. What is left out is that the Jiyza can rise to any level, even to a point of demanding the turning over of all property and wealth. Then the next time the tax comes due, there will be no means left to pay any expected amount at which time the protections can disappear. That is the least of the restrictions which are troublesome from the Quran’s treatment of Dhimmis such that they have no legal recourse in the courts and there is no protection against forced conversions or forced marriage of your children and even convert or death choice.

 

So, with the reality that Mahmoud Abbas, Jordanian King Abdallah and Egyptian President Sisi will all refuse any agreement with Israel where the Jews are permitted to have rights to govern themselves, then how can John Bolton possibly make any progress where none has ever existed? Well, there is the fact that his reputation as a rather blunt and forceful individual who is extremely opinionated who is difficult to deal with, but why should that change anything? Well, another thing about John Bolton is that since he is not the President nor an actual Cabinet Secretary and merely an adviser, he will have the latitude to do offers which are beyond things that say the Secretary of State could broach without actually obligating the United States or the President. This may permit Mr. Bolton to inspect other alternatives which a President, Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense would cause far too much talk and media reporting making actually working such a deal to its conclusion. Such a deal might be done by going around King Abdullah and instead backing the Jordanian Opposition Council led by Mudar Zahran, somebody who could meet with John Bolton outside some international event away from the media and avoiding any undesired attention. The Jordanian Opposition Council is led by Mudar Zahran and desires to make peace with Israel and turn the rule of Jordan to the Palestinians who represent a sizable majority of the Jordanian population. There have been suggestions where the King of Jordan will still rule over Jordan which will be minimized into the areas where the Bedouin and other non-Palestinian tribes in the eastern sector while the Palestinians will be given rule of the remainder of Jordan renamed Palestine.

 

The Arabs from the Shomron would be enticed to move into this new nation and those remaining in PA regions would be granted Palestinian citizenship and Israel would be returned the entirety of the Shomron. This would require some extreme assistance from the United States as certain powers from the Jordanian areas remade into Palestine would need to be removed before they could overthrow whatever governance is put in place. Assuming that Mudar Zahran and his Jordanian Opposition Council are backed and placed into Palestine with King Abdullah simply instructed that should he attempt to retake the remainder of what had been his nation that he would face very stiff and possibly deadly resistance as the United States is backing new governance. The Muslim Brotherhood would be the first group to be removed from the new nation. Any other known terrorist operatives would require neutralizing. Finally, once Palestine has been pacified, much as Germany was de-Nazified after World War II, then new elections, which should be carefully operated by the United States and overseen by respected and trusted international observers, need to be held to elect new and representative governance. The peace which would be reached between Israel and this new Palestine would also require being overseen and enforced by international interests, defined as the United States as most others would be considered as being compromised. The unfortunate and most shaky part of this arrangement is that for it to actually be capable of lasting, it will require the United States to make an investment militarily, socially, economically and in other capabilities which may not be evident initially as the situation would most definitely require nurturing. The difficulty with this idea is whether Mudar Zahran and his Jordanian Opposition Council are actually seeking peace or simply attempting to use peace with Israel as a lever to gain power followed by their never releasing power forming a dictatorship which could then turn against Israel. This potential eventuality is why the conversion process from potential terror state to modern economic state will require being walked through the transformation and protected from backtracking. This could be the small crack in the Islamic World through which a different passage can be opened leading to progress in bringing the Arab world forward to modern economic success. The incoming King of Saudi Arabia has made indication he would like to open such a path for his nation. Adding Jordan to the north along with Saudi Arabia passing into the modern economic world could complete the apparent path the world appears to be rolling along. Such a change in direction for the Arab and Islamic world would, if accomplished, be the greatest product of President Trump. The only problem is what would happen with following administrations, would they continue to support such an effort or simply destroy all this progress just to spite the memory of the time President Trump held the White House. The destruction and shutting down of the operations required in the name of erasing Trump’s legacy while saving funds could result in the end of modernizing the lives of the many Arabs currently living in an age removed from the developed world, a world where their own leadership currently reside. There is hope that progress could come and lift many in the Arab world from tribalism and poverty into the modern world with all the benefits and progress. This hope might just be the reason for John Bolton as his actions are often reported as being illogical, unhelpful and anything but to what people should pay any attention. Thus, his visiting some obscure individuals in London or outside the Davos meetings would be minimalized by the media, something simply perfect for Bolton to actually operate below the radar and by the time he is found out, it might just be too late to change what will result.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Exactly Spell-out What the Agreement Says and Means

 

The first thing we need establish is the exact wording of the signed agreement. In that effort, below is what the two leaders signed.

Convinced that the establishment of new U.S.-DPRK relations will contribute to the peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and of the world, and recognizing that mutual confidence building can promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un state the following:
1. The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new U.S.-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.
2. The United States and the DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.
3. Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
4. The United States and the DPRK commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.

In many ways, one could look at this short and concise statement the two leaders signed, but that would be missing the main accomplishment, the two leaders met face-to-face, spoke with one another, nobody got hurt, and they singed a mutual declaration. This, in and of itself, was a great accomplishment as by meeting they were able to dispel many of the many misgivings, biases, superstitions, and other concepts which forced the two nations apart and prevented any real establishment of a new relationship. This was a first step to go beyond the old paradigm of demanding bribes for false promises. This meeting allowed for each leader to gauge the other and get a feel for whether they should be trusted or spurned. The big question going forward will be whether the two leaders make any further headway or decide to just allow everything to settle until all hope of a breakthrough dies. Then, should they decide to trust and move forward, then comes the question of in what way will anything produced in another round be different than previous agreements reached with the North Koreans.

 

President Trump Denotes Where King Jong-un Should Seat Himself

 

To understand that, it helps to understand what the previous negotiations produced. That is not exactly a pretty story. In every former negotiation with North Korea, the United States came out holding the short end of the stick. Each one followed the same exact routine, a routine that only a politician could call successful. The leader of North Korea threatened some form of mayhem and turmoil and the United States President begged to know what would prevent their actually carrying out their threatened move. The North Koreans named their price, there was a brief period of hemming and hawing, and then the United States paid the named bribe and even a little more just to make sure. The bribe demanded was usually in some form of food relief, guaranteed energy provisions plus a boatload of cash. As we stated, it was a sorry affair. Usually within a year of paying the protection price, the North Koreans would proceed to resume their nuclear and missile tests breaking their side of the agreement. Breaking the agreement was a necessity otherwise; they would not have had the ability to start their next round of threats.

 

So, already the United States is an improved position as this time the threats got the cold shoulder and until Kim Jong-un had approached more apologetically. The initial temper tantrum received only the slightest attention approaching to seek what would be the price for resumed quiet. Instead, President Trump one-upped Kim Jong-un by threatening him right back. This was seen as foolish and tempting fate by most observers from all the usual places. They chimed in with the uncalled for advice, that swatting a beehive with a bat was not only dangerous but foolhardy. President Trump responded that the beehive was actually a pouty child and should be brought to civil behavior by punishing such behavior, not rewarding it. The champions of the status-quo cautioned that playing this game of tit-for-tat would only lead to a ruinous war and that the United States and the world would only be sorry and suffer great losses. President Trump simply ignored their advice and that this time things were going to be different when after Kim Jong-un threatened to use a nuclear device on Guam or maybe Hawaii and President Trump Tweeted, “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!” This sent the normal into such a tizzy with some of the snowflakes melting and the wilting flowers running for cover all making Chicken Little seem absolutely brave and highly intelligent. The talking heads were claiming there would be glowing melting remains in cities everywhere. The reality was Kim Jong-un realized he had his bluff called and called in spades. Kim Jong-un broke first and came to President Trump pleading for a way out of the predicament into which he had gotten himself. President Trump was kind and did not make any huge deal of Kim Jong-un flinching and simply set up a meeting which Kim Jong-un could have had by the asking before all the inanities of who could threaten the most between Kim and Trump. That letting him off without rubbing his face in his loss, by not disgracing him, President Trump may have set himself up for Kim Jong-un returning to threats by breaking his word to President Trump and threatening one last time. Trump responded with the least amount of effort by simply cancelling their meeting. That was President Trump reminding Kim that it was Kim who needed to meet, not Trump and Trump still had a larger button on his desk that worked, all without having to repeat it.

 

President Trump’s Nuclear Threat Tweet

 

Well, Kim backed down again and they have now had their meeting. There will be those who claim that the agreement does not say anything which might be considered thunderously calling in a new age. Well, they met, they signed before the cameras, and they left promising to meet again and President Trump was obviously the one controlling the situation while Kim was playing a quiet supporting role. That is far more thunderous than the begging to be allowed to feed the beast which had been the former response to North Korea and to such a point that Kim Jong-un was led to believe that all he need do was make threats and the Americans would shower him with aid meeting anything he demanded. Well, he found out that there is a new sheriff in Washington D.C. who doesn’t flinch as easily as Kim had been advised. The first sign that Kim Jong-un and the North Korean military advisors, who initially misled him, have been tamed will come should issue four be satisfied in a full and timely manner. That specified its requirements stating, “The United States and the DPRK commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.” This would result in the immediate repatriation of those POW/MIA soldiers from the Korean War being returned by North Korea and doing so with a fair amount of alacrity. Should North Korea start making excuses and dragging their feet, then President Trump will know that they are back up to their old tricks and trying to play him for the fool. That will prove to not having been wise and they should have figured that out already, but some people learn really slowly.

 

The big test will be for North Korea denuclearizing immediately by disassembling their nuclear weapons laboratories and taking their Nyongbyon reactor off-line and shutting it down permanently. North Korea’s Nyongbyon reactor was taken off-line at its main nuclear complex in 2007 as part a disarmament-for-aid deal, but, surprise-surprise, that accord simply fell apart which was validated by satellite imagery indicating the North Koreans had resumed extracting plutonium. This will also be something which can be verified by satellite imagery and will be a definitive sign of compliance or of total disregard of the consequences of breaking their word with a President from the business world where your word is your bond. President Trump would not react kindly to such an affront. What should get President Trump put up for a Nobel Peace Prize would be an actual signing of a peace agreement between North Korea and the allied United Nations powers from that conflict. Of course, even considering President Trump for the award would be enough to raise the average blood pressure of all too many other national leaders and anti-Trump masses the world over that it would result in the total collapse of many a European health system and test those in the United States. Still, should he bring North Korea to comply and also end the conflict allowing the United States to cut their military presence, cut, not eliminate, in South Korea leaving a presence to man some of the positions along the DMZ so as to assure that North Korea keeps that peace. One can only pray that President Trump has successfully tamed the North Korean dragon and put a decent scare into the Chinese dragon making the world that much safer. Now we simply have to ponder, what next.

 

Beyond the Cusp