North Korean President Kim Jong-un accused the United State of Leningrad-like siege on the North Korea, leaving his country no choice but to eventually hit the U.S. with nukes. Meeting in Washington March 31 with leaders of major Pacific Rim nations for a Nuclear Security Summit, President Barack Obama tried to craft a strategy to deal with North Korea’s erratic 33-year-old reclusive leader. Calling the latest U.N. sanctions “anachronistic and suicidal,” North Korea’s National Defense Council [NDC] cautioned the latest sanctions could trigger a nuclear strike on the U.S. Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jingping, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Obama failed to gain consensus on how to deal with Kim’s escalating nuclear threats. Obama especially leaned on Xi to pressure Kim into dialing back his nuclear threats.
Xi told Obama he wouldn’t back more U.N. sanctions against North Korea after agreeing with harsh measures March 2, punishing nuclear arms suppliers for getting Kim nuclear bomb-making components. After North Korea’s fusion bomb test Jan. 9, U.N. Amb. Samantha Powers has garnered more sanctions against Pyongyang. Obama tried to get major Pacific Rim nations to buy into tougher U.N. sanctions on North Korea. Missing from Obama’s Nuclear Security Summit was Russian President Vladimir Putin who holds more sway over Kim than other world leaders, including Xi. Letting U.S.-Russian relations deteriorate to Cold War lows, Obama made containing Kim’s march toward intercontinental ballistic missiles more complicated. Obama can’t get beyond Putin’s annexation of Crimea, something with little consequences to U.S. or European Union national security.
Obama hasn’t helped matters in Syria, backing the Saudi proxy war to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Unable to explain why he backs the Saudis in Syria, Obama directly challenges Putin political objective of backing al-Assad’s Shiite government. For over five years the U.S. has backed Saudi Arabia’s attempt to change regimes in Damascus, despite warnings of another Iraq-like power vacuum. Putin told the U.N. General Assembly Sept. 28, 2015 that toppling al-Assad would repeat the mistakes of Iraq and open the floodgates of more terrorism in the region. For some unknown reason, Obama continues to oppose Putin in Syria. If Barack hopes to get cooperation from Putin in Ukraine or any other unstable part of the world, he needs to pick his battles wisely. Opposing Putin in Syria does nothing to deal with geopolitical hotspots like North Korea.
Nuclear threats from North Korea pose no urgent threat to the U.S. because Kin lacks a nuclear delivery system. Blaming the U.S. for laying siege to Pyongyang, Kim justifies future nuke attacks on the U.S. homeland. North Korea’s NDC blames “the U.S. and other hostile forces in a flock to swallow it [NKorea] up.” North Korea’s NDC compares current U.S. actions to the WWII siege of Leningrad or Cuban embargo. “The Leningrad blockade which struck terror into the hearts of people . . . and the Caribbean crisis in the Cold War era can hardly stand comparison with the situation,” said the NDC. U.S-driven U.N. sanctions pushes NKorea to develop its nuke program and threaten the U.S. with missile strikes. “Make a retaliatory nuclear strike at the U.S. mainland any moment,” said the NDC, putting the U.S. on notice that it’s closer to a nuclear confrontation.
Opposing Moscow in Syria has escalated Cold War hysteria, now pushing U.S.-Russian relations beyond repair. Obama’s statements critical of Turkey’s crackdown on the press, pits the Kurd’s Peshmerga forces against the Saudis and Turkish governments. Putin practically stood on his head to get the U.S. to change its position backing regime change in Damascus. If the U.S. really wants to mend fences with Russia, Obama needs to stand up to Turkey and Saudi Arabia, regardless of Erodogan and King Salman’s backing of the Saudi proxy war. Erdogan’s blind hatred of the Kurds prevents the U.S. from giving sufficient backing to battle ISIS. Lumping all Kurds into Turkey’s old enemy the PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party] shows Erdogan has no real plan to help fight ISIS in Iraq or Syria. In order to mend fences with Putin, Obama needs to stand up to Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the truth today telling Turkey to stop meddling in neighboring countries and supporting terrorism. Obama found out the hard way what happens when you play all sides against each other: Chaos and a failed foreign policy in all parts of world. Watching Kim Jong-un threaten the U.S. with nukes should tell Obama about the importance of linkage, where strong relations with old but powerful adversaries like Russia pay dividends in troubled parts of the globe. Allowing U.S.-Russian relations to deteriorate has worsened U.S. national security, making containment of North Korea’s nukes more difficult. Instead of backing Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Syria, it’s time for the U.S. to stop punishing Moscow for Crimea and join Putin in backing the Kurds, going after ISIS and stabilizing Syria. Saudi Arabia and Turkey’s regime change strategy in Damascus adds to the chaos.
