North Korea blatantly conducted a nuclear test last week. Ignoring the protests from most civilized countries of the world, for the third time they flexed their “muscles.” The government of North Korea now claims they are nearing a transcontinental missile capable of hitting the West Coast of the United States.
U.S. experts dubious at best
Most military experts scoff at that prediction, but what does the test itself and the boasting after say about the Obama administration and their effect on North Korean behavior.
More than that, what does it say about North Korea’s handler, China?
White House favoring nuclear reductions
Here’s the White House response to this growing menace. They are prepared to reduce the U.S. nuclear arsenal by one-third. That’s correct, they’ve signed off on an internal review of the nation’s weapon strategy, according to The Hill.
The recommended reductions were exposed last Friday according to a report by the Center for Public Integrity. The proposed reductions are a draft version of a highly classified directive assembled by “top defense and national security officials.”
Who might that be?
Obama's reaction
What has become President Obama’s usual vague encouragement with the impression of no commitment? The CPI received information from top sources involved in the decision that Obama did not express opposition.
CPI also says the new directive would have been made public last year, but as usual with this White House, politics played a major role in keeping the issue secret. It seems no one working on the president’s 2012 campaign wanted it released before the November election.
It is the same strategy of “rope-a-dope” the White House attempted (successfully) with the Benghazi tragedy.
It worked with the helping hand of a mainstream press looking the other way.
China's response
China provided their usual murky condemnation of their staunch ally. They even went as far as summoning the North Korean ambassador to Beijing. Is there one individual anywhere with knowledge of China’s iron hand policy over North Korea that believes they did didn’t know this test was coming?
Even Pyongyang couldn’t keep a straight face over that claim.
Meanwhile, the latest test was far more powerful than the two previous in 2006 and 2009.
North Korea, Iran, Israel and beyond
North Korea is not the only wanna-be nuclear power bound and determined to join the world’s nuclear club. There’s the continuing drama in Iran. Israel announced last Monday the Iranians are installing new centrifuges for its uranium enrichment program. That new piece of information means that the country could cut by two-thirds the remaining time to their own bomb.
Add to that the announcement from Tehran that installation of new machines is planned at their main enrichment plant.
How long can the Israelis sit and watch this continuing provocation?
Yet the Obama administration holds firm that “using a smaller arsenal to target a limited number of threats, including North Korea and Iran, rather than keeping a large ballistic arsenal, would still allow the country to maintain a viable nuclear deterrence strategy," according to The Hill.
Does it feel like a real showdown is guaranteed sometime in the near future? It’s obvious that North Korea and Iran’s handlers, Russia and China, have no plans to put a muzzle on their fanatical puppets.
Is this the time to be announcing reductions in nuclear capabilities?
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