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Last February, after Pyongyang agreed to give IAEA inspectors access to its nuclear facilities, suspend uranium enrichment and more nuclear weapons and long range missile tests, Washington pledged 240,000 tons of food aid.
Responding to North Korea's determination to launch, Japan and South Korea threatened to down the rocket if it passed over their territory. It barely got off the ground. It failed shortly after liftoff. Scattered debris entered waters 100 km off South Korea's coast.
Showing good faith before launching, Pyongyang invited about 50 foreign journalists to witness it close up. At the same time, Washington's pressure got the Security Council to meet in emergency session. A statement "deplor(ing)" the launch followed.
On April 12, Hillary Clinton said "Pyongyang has a clear choice. It can pursue peace and reap the benefits of closer ties with the international community, including the United States. Or it can continue to face pressure and isolation."
North Korea threatens no one. It pursued peace since Truman's war of aggression. Its efforts produced condemnation, intimidation, impoverishment, and isolation. Nothing changed under Bush or Obama. Washington's main regional target is China. Pyongyang's an easy punching bag.
Beating up on what Korean expert Bruce Cummings calls "The Hermit Kingdom" is policy. He once referred to North Korea as "where the Cold War never ends." At the time he added:
"We should all try to be sober and serious in thinking about North Korea and peace on the peninsula, so that one day Korea can be unified without another hemorrhage of blood."
He and others know Pyongyang's not the problem. Washington hegemonic ambitions prevent global peace.
Beating Up on Iran Is Prioritized
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