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China and
Russia Warn |
| By
Stephen Lendman |
| The DPRK threatens no one. Attacking it would be madness, threatening
millions on the Korean peninsula. The Trump administration eschews diplomacy, refusing to respect Pyongyang’s sovereignty. Making belligerent threats risks something much more serious. Last week, Sergey Lavrov called the risk of war on the peninsula “very high,” adding “(w)e hear direct threats to use force. At the same time, US Secretary of Defense Mattis stated once again: Yes, this will involve a huge number of human casualties, and yet talks about a preemptive strike on North Korea” persist. “This concerns us very much,” Lavrov stressed. On Monday, he and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi spoke by phone. They called belligerence on the Korean peninsula absolutely “unacceptable.” The only option is resolving contentious issues diplomatically. Wang said no one should be permitted to heighten tensions on the peninsula. Lavrov warned about them escalating if large-scale joint US/South Korea military exercises scheduled for 10 days beginning on August 21 proceed as planned. Both ministers urged suspending them in return for Pyongyang freezing its nuclear program, a proposal Washington rejects. The DPRK halted its ill-advised threats, saying it’ll wait to assess “the foolish and stupid conduct” of America before deciding future actions. On Tuesday, Rex Tillerson said the administration is interested in talks with North Korea - provided it halts its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, an unacceptable demand Pyongyang rejects as long as the threat of US aggression exists. On Wednesday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert was asked if talks with the DPRK are being considered now that Kim Jong-un halted threats about firing ballistic missiles close to Guam. “No,” she said. “They would have to do a lot more,” calling “rewar(ing) someone for not doing something…an extreme hypothetical.” Partitioning of Korea and Vietnam by America and Soviet Russia at the end of WW II led to two devastating East Asia wars, killing millions, leaving lasting scars, a second war on the Korean peninsula possible because of extreme US hostility toward the DPRK. Korean peninsula brinksmanship poses unacceptable risks - why it’s crucial for China, Russia, South Korea and Japan to go all-out to prevent US aggression in their part of the world. VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. |