In My Time, by Vice President Dick Cheney: on Foreign Policy
Barack Obama:
OpEd: North Korean behavior under Bush same as under Obama
Recent history with North Korea was a pretty effective guide to how they would behave. They signed the Agreed Framework in 1994 during the Clinton administration and immediately began violating its terms, demanding payment and looking for ways to use
the negotiations to blackmail the United States.They behaved the same way with us and have brought out all their threats and demands again for the Obama administration. They have learned now, through Republican and
Democratic administrations, that this is an effective way to operate. It yields concessions from the West while they continue to develop nuclear weapons. I hope a future president and secretary of state will break the cycle.
This is particularly important because in the area of nonproliferation, as in so much else, the United States must lead. If we do not hold the line, few others will.
Source: In My Time, by V.P. Dick Cheney, p.493
Aug 30, 2011
Dick Cheney:
Effective diplomacy: stand with allies, & learn from history
The story of our diplomacy with North Korea carries with it important lessons.- First is the importance of not losing sight of the objective. Our goal was getting the North Koreans to give up their nuclear weapons program.
- The most effective
diplomacy happens when America negotiates from a position of strength. We should have taken action ourselves to destroy the North Korean-built nuclear reactor in the Syrian desert.
- Red lines must mean something, [like] when the North Koreans tested a
nuclear weapon in Oct. 2006.
- Effective diplomacy requires that we think strategically. In 2001 the Chinese engaged in our efforts.
- America's position is strengthened when we stand with allies. In this instance we failed to do that, sidelining
two key allies--the Japanese and the South Koreans.
- Finally, effective diplomacy requires that our diplomats study and learn from our history. In this case, recent history with North Korea was a pretty effective guide to how they would behave.
Source: In My Time, by V.P. Dick Cheney, p.490-493
Aug 30, 2011
George W. Bush:
2001: Multilateral approach with China against North Korea
Effective diplomacy requires that we think strategically. The president did just this when he insisted in 2001 that we get the Chinese engaged in our efforts to convince the North Koreans to give up their nuclear program. We also brought in the Russians,
the Japanese and the South Koreans. The president saw that North Korea was already so isolated and under such extensive sanctions that the United States alone had little ability to bring significant pressure to bear. However, a multilateral approach that
included China might well have the ability to pressure Pyongyang. We lost opportunities to encourage the Chinese to play a more constructive role. In the immediate aftermath of North Korea's nuclear test in October 2006, for example, the Chinese were
upset, particularly because Pyongyang gave them only an hour's notice of the test. We should have used that moment of leverage to bring our partners in the six-party talks together--with the Chinese in the lead--to put true pressure on the North Koreans.
Source: In My Time, by V.P. Dick Cheney, p.492
Aug 30, 2011
Page last updated: Mar 30, 2012