Emerging Duplicity
Reports are coming out that North Korea has never stopped its nuclear weapons development. It threw the US administration some "bones" and whilst there was much barking and happy salutations in the kennels, way in the back blocks Kim Jong Un was busy on another even more advanced, secret development.
North Korea has been keen to show it has been conforming to both the spirit and the word of the agreement its leader, Kim Jong-un, reached with US President Donald Trump in Singapore earlier this year. Media and investigators have been invited to oversee the dismantling of missile test sites and facilities.
But new commercial satellite photos obtained by CNN reveal that as he's been dismantling with one hand, he's been rapidly assembling with the other, reports news.com.au."Whatever Kim says about his desire for denuclearisation, North Korea continues to produce and deploy nuclear armed missiles, " an analyst for the US Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey says. [NZ Herald]The heat begins to be turned upon the US administration. President Trump, it may be argued, is a great showman. Throw this circus dog a bone and he will happily scamper around the ring. At least it appears pretty clear that such is the view Kim Jong Un holds with respect to the US President. For all the bluster and big-noting, it appears that the North Korean leader may well be emerging the winner. That is not something anyone should take a perverse pleasure in, regardless of the opinions which they hold about the US President.
"Construction on the previously unidentified site has continued even after the Singapore Summit," @ArmsControlWonk of @CNS_Updates tells @CNN. "Whatever Kim says [re: denuclearization], #NorthKorea continues to produce and deploy nuclear armed missiles." cnn.com/2018/12/05/pol…
134:50 PM - Dec 5, 2018
Apparently the US and North Korean presidents have another face-to-face talkfest scheduled early in the New Year.
President Trump recently said he is likely to hold a second summit with Kim in January or February. Ban said he hopes the summit will occur at a time when the international community feels confident about North Korea's commitment to denuclearisation.However, if North Korea all along has been continuing its nuclear and missile development programmes, albeit in greater secrecy than ever, Trump has few choices. To maintain credibility he will be forced to return to the track of universal trade sanctions against North Korea. Kim Jong Un is effectively calling Trump's bluff.
"Your move, Mr President."
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