The White House has made its first solid foreign policy accomplishment since, at least, they convinced Syria to withdraw troops from Lebanon.
North Korea agreed today to close its main nuclear reactor in exchange for a package of food, fuel and other aid from the United States, China, South Korea and Russia. The breakthrough, which was announced by the Chinese government after intense negotiations and welcomed by the White House as a “very important first step”, came four months after North Korea tested a nuclear bomb.
So, how does our former chief diplomat feel about this breakthrough?
“I am very disturbed by this deal,” Mr. [John] Bolton told CNN. “It sends exactly the wrong signal to would-be proliferators around the world: ’If we hold out long enough, wear down the State Department negotiators, eventually you get rewarded,’ in this case with massive shipments of heavy fuel oil for doing only partially what needs to be done.”
Is there any doubt that our concerted efforts to block John Bolton’s confirmation at the U.N. have payed off handsomely?