Tuesday evening, BBC World Asia reported that, “South Korea's military has apologised after a failed missile launch during a joint drill with the United States sparked alarm among residents in the coastal city of Gangneung…the military, which has said there were no casualties, didn't acknowledge the incident until seven hours later.”
During Tuesday’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre seemed to preview this course of action, though she positioned it as a training exercise:
“And following this launch, US Marine Corps fighters joined Japan air self-defense fighters in a bilateral exercise over the Sea of Japan to enhance operational readiness and responses to regional threats, while defending our nations and to further strengthen regional peace and stability.”
She also referenced a “bilateral exercise as well over the West Sea to showcase combined deterrent and dynamic strike capabilities while demonstrating our nation's bilateral interoperability. We will continue to coordinate the immediate and longer-term response bilaterally, trilaterally, with the Republic of Korea and with the international community.”
The apparent escalation by Seoul and Washington is in response to Monday night’s missile launches over Japan by the North Koreans – the first time Pyongyang has flown a missile over Japan since 2017.
From the BBC piece, “Seoul and Washington also fired a volley of missiles into the East Sea - also known as the Sea of Japan - between the Korean peninsula and Japan. The South Korean military later confirmed that one of their missiles failed soon after it was launched and crashed - this was separate to the ones launched with the US.”
The White House claims ignorance of Pyongyang’s motives, with KJP refusing to speculate and stating Tuesday afternoon that she was “not going to, going to get into hypotheticals or get into, into the mind of the North Korea leader.” Still, timing suggests that the escalation is in response to Vice President Harris’ unforced errors in the region last week.
KJP confirmed that the DPRK is snubbing the administration’s efforts at diplomacy when she stated, “We remain prepared to engage in serious, serious and sustained diplomacy to make tangible progress towards that end…it's unfortunate that the DPRK has not responded to our outreach.”
Not to pull the “Trump Card,” but Rocket Man played ball with the prior administration which is why this escalation is the first instance since 2017.
Here is today’s letter to Congress.
ATTENTION CONGRESS:
Americans woke up this morning to learn that the US conducted a joint missile launch with South Korea in response to the DPRK’s actions over Japan on Monday. Further, South Korea's military had to apologize for alarming residents when one of the missile’s failed.
During Tuesday’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre seemed to preview this course of action, though she positioned it as a training exercise:
“And following this launch, US Marine Corps fighters joined Japan air self-defense fighters in a bilateral exercise over the Sea of Japan to enhance operational readiness and responses to regional threats, while defending our nations and to further strengthen regional peace and stability,” continuing with reference to a “bilateral exercise as well over the West Sea to showcase combined deterrent and dynamic strike capabilities while demonstrating our nation's bilateral interoperability.”
This is the first time Pyongyang has flown a missile over Japan since 2017. Not to pull the “Trump Card,” but at least Rocket Man played ball with the prior administration. This failed show of force combined with Kim Jong Un’s refusal of the administration’s diplomacy efforts is an international embarrassment.
While the White House feigns ignorance about the motives of Pyongyang, timing suggests that the escalation is in response to Vice President Harris’ unforced errors in the region last week.
DEMAND FOR REMEDY: Untangle the US from all these foreign conflicts, and put America and Americans first. And for the love of all that is Good and Holy, impeach this administration before they further escalate World War Three.
Did you withdraw from Afghanistan to become engaged in half a dozen new foreign conflicts? Or are you, like HuffPost, angling for a nuclear war to reverse global warming?
Your policies are so insane, that actually seems likely.
Remember your oath.
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