President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. diplomats had a "very productive meeting" with North Korean officials, and he announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be held in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi.
North Korea is stepping up a new loyalty campaign as leader Kim Jong Un prepares for his second summit with US President Donald Trump.The campaign began last month with the introduction of a song in praise of the nation's flag.A...
President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. diplomats had a “very productive meeting” with North Korean officials, and he announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be held in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi.
President Donald Trump delivered his second State of the Union address on Tuesday, where he re-enforced his immigration agenda, slammed “ridiculous partisan investigations” and announced he would meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for... Read More
Slaves don't produce ground shattering inventions, or make paradigm shift discoveries, or maintain advanced, scientific, state of the art technology. Man survives and thrives by the use of his mind, the mind is an attribute of the individual, and thinking is volitional. A mind can be silenced, or destroyed, but it can not be forced, that is why all totalitarian societies collapse into poverty. That's why you have "brain drain", the best minds, the ambitious workers and innovators, either leave the country if they can, or quit. That's why China and Russia, Cuba, North Korea, the Arab muslim world, must steal, borrow, or buy the technology of the freer countries in the West. That's why socialized medicine and public education standards deteriorate and collapse. The closer you get to complete totalitarianism, the complete enslavement of man's mind, the closer you get to complete collapse. Freedom and innovation are corollaries, the more you have one, the more you have of the other, and vice versa.
The rundown technology in George Orwell's 1984 makes some sense, at some point even that rundown technology would necessarily collapse, but the pristine, advanced, technology of Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" is impossible. Ayn Rand got it right in her futuristic, dystopian, science-fiction, novella, "Anthem", all technology disappears, and it is prohibited by law to introduce any inventions or discoveries not approved by the ruling priesthood, and of course anyone who dares to show initiative and intelligence, independence, gets crushed immediately.
◆昭和５２（１９７７）年１１月１５日
少女拉致容疑事案
被害者：横田めぐみさん（Megumi Yokota）
（拉致被害時１３歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
新潟市において下校途中に失踪。
平成１６年１１月に開催された第３回実務者協議において、北朝鮮側はめぐみさんが１９９４（平成６）年４月に死亡したとし「遺骨」を提出したが、めぐみさんの「遺骨」とされた骨の一部からは同人のものとは異なるＤＮＡが検出されたとの鑑定結果を得た。
平成１８年４月には日本政府の実施したＤＮＡ検査により、横田めぐみさんの夫が昭和５３年に韓国より拉致された当時高校生の韓国人拉致被害者・金英男（キム・ヨンナム）氏である可能性が高いことが判明した。
Abductee: Megumi Yokota (13, female, Niigata Prefecture)
Disappeared on her way home from school in Niigata City.
During the third round of Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations in November 2004, North Korea claimed that Megumi Yokota died in April 1994 and handed over what it claimed were her remains. DNA analysis, however, indicates that some of the bones from these remains belong in fact to a different person or persons.
Additional DNA analysis conducted in April 2006 by the GoJ indicated a high probability that Kim Young-Nam, a Korean citizen abducted from the Republic of Korea in 1978 when he was a high-school student, was married to Ms. Yokota.
◆昭和５３（１９７８）年６月頃
元飲食店店員拉致容疑事案
被害者：田中 実さん（Minoru Tanaka）
（拉致被害時２８歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
欧州に向け出国したあと失踪。
平成１４年１０月にクアラルンプールで行われた日・朝国交正常化交渉第１２回本会談及び平成１６年に計３回行われた日・朝実務者協議において我が方から北朝鮮側に情報提供を求めたが、第３回協議において北朝鮮側より北朝鮮に入境したことは確認できなかった旨回答があった。
平成１７年４月に田中 実さんが拉致認定されて以降、政府は北朝鮮側に対し即時帰国及び事案に関する真相究明を求めてきているが、これまでに回答はない。
■兵庫県警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/
■救う会兵庫ＨＰ
http://www.sukuukai078.net/04.html
■救う会兵庫facebook
http://www.facebook.com/sukuukai078
［In or around June 1978: Former restaurant worker abducted］
Abductee: Minoru Tanaka (28, male, Hyogo Prefecture)
Disappeared after departing Japan for Europe.
The GoJ requested that North Korea provide information on this case at the 12th round of Japan-North Korea Normalization Talks held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2002 and all three Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations held in 2004. During the third round of consultations, North Korea asserted that there is no evidence that Mr. Tanaka had ever entered North Korean territory.
Since April 2005, when the GoJ officially identified Minoru Tanaka as an abductee, the GoJ has demanded that North Korea immediately allow him to return to Japan and provide a full accounting of his case. North Korea, however, has not responded.
【ＳＥＡ ＯＦ ＭＥＲＣＹ】
The book named “Sea of Mercy”
13-year- old junior high school student Takeshi Terakoshi was abducted in May 1963.
He went fishing with his two uncle, Shoji and Soto-o Terakoshi. The fishingboat named Kiyomaru left for the fishing ground nearby Noto island, Ishikawa prefecture.
Kiyomaru encountered North Korean spy vessel. Spies were afraid of detection.
Soto-o and Takeshi were abducted and carried to Chong-jin city. Shoji was considered to be killed at the site.
Families, fellow fishermen and coast guard searched the area, but they could find only Kiyomaru and Takeshi’s school uniform.
They thought 3 persons were in disress and died. Funeral service was held.24 Years were passed.
In 1987, Soto-o’s sister received the letter from Soto-o and surprised.
Soto-o wrote “Takeshi and I am living in Gusong, North Korea”.
Takeshi’s father and mother visited to North Korea in1988 and met with Soto-o and Takeshi.
But they couldn’t say how they carried to North Korea because NK officials watched them.
North Korea made the story of their shipwreck accident and lifesaving.
Since then, Takeshi’s parents visited to him a lot of times but Takeshi and his family members cannot say that Takeshi and his uncles were abducted.
In 1997, Megumi Yokota case was appeared in the media and the national congress. Terakoshi’s case was also observed as an abduction case. But “he” denied that he was abducted and praised North Korea and the Kim family.
In December 2001, Pyongyang publishing company published a book named “Sea of Mercy”.
The author is Kim Myong-ho, Takeshi’s Korean name.
In that book, Takeshi wrote that they are not the abduction victims but happily living in North Korea after they ware saved. Moreover “he" denied other abduction case such as Megumi Yokota and Yaeko Taguchi in this book.
Nine months later, Kim Jong-il admitted and appologized for the abduction activities.
But North Korea still denies Terakoshi’s case as abduction and Takeshi and his family cannot say he was abduction victim because Takeshi himself is a hostage.
“Sea of Mercy”, the title is a symbol of North Korean regime.
◆昭和５２（１９７７）年１１月１５日
少女拉致容疑事案
被害者：横田めぐみさん（Megumi Yokota）
（拉致被害時１３歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
新潟市において下校途中に失踪。
平成１６年１１月に開催された第３回実務者協議において、北朝鮮側はめぐみさんが１９９４（平成６）年４月に死亡したとし「遺骨」を提出したが、めぐみさんの「遺骨」とされた骨の一部からは同人のものとは異なるＤＮＡが検出されたとの鑑定結果を得た。
平成１８年４月には日本政府の実施したＤＮＡ検査により、横田めぐみさんの夫が昭和５３年に韓国より拉致された当時高校生の韓国人拉致被害者・金英男（キム・ヨンナム）氏である可能性が高いことが判明した。
Abductee: Megumi Yokota (13, female, Niigata Prefecture)
Disappeared on her way home from school in Niigata City.
During the third round of Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations in November 2004, North Korea claimed that Megumi Yokota died in April 1994 and handed over what it claimed were her remains. DNA analysis, however, indicates that some of the bones from these remains belong in fact to a different person or persons.
Additional DNA analysis conducted in April 2006 by the GoJ indicated a high probability that Kim Young-Nam, a Korean citizen abducted from the Republic of Korea in 1978 when he was a high-school student, was married to Ms. Yokota.
◆昭和５３（１９７８）年６月頃
元飲食店店員拉致容疑事案
被害者：田中 実さん（Minoru Tanaka）
（拉致被害時２８歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
欧州に向け出国したあと失踪。
平成１４年１０月にクアラルンプールで行われた日・朝国交正常化交渉第１２回本会談及び平成１６年に計３回行われた日・朝実務者協議において我が方から北朝鮮側に情報提供を求めたが、第３回協議において北朝鮮側より北朝鮮に入境したことは確認できなかった旨回答があった。
平成１７年４月に田中 実さんが拉致認定されて以降、政府は北朝鮮側に対し即時帰国及び事案に関する真相究明を求めてきているが、これまでに回答はない。
■兵庫県警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/
■救う会兵庫ＨＰ
http://www.sukuukai078.net/04.html
■救う会兵庫facebook
http://www.facebook.com/sukuukai078
［In or around June 1978: Former restaurant worker abducted］
Abductee: Minoru Tanaka (28, male, Hyogo Prefecture)
Disappeared after departing Japan for Europe.
The GoJ requested that North Korea provide information on this case at the 12th round of Japan-North Korea Normalization Talks held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2002 and all three Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations held in 2004. During the third round of consultations, North Korea asserted that there is no evidence that Mr. Tanaka had ever entered North Korean territory.
Since April 2005, when the GoJ officially identified Minoru Tanaka as an abductee, the GoJ has demanded that North Korea immediately allow him to return to Japan and provide a full accounting of his case. North Korea, however, has not responded.
【ＳＥＡ ＯＦ ＭＥＲＣＹ】
The book named “Sea of Mercy”
13-year- old junior high school student Takeshi Terakoshi was abducted in May 1963.
He went fishing with his two uncle, Shoji and Soto-o Terakoshi. The fishingboat named Kiyomaru left for the fishing ground nearby Noto island, Ishikawa prefecture.
Kiyomaru encountered North Korean spy vessel. Spies were afraid of detection.
Soto-o and Takeshi were abducted and carried to Chong-jin city. Shoji was considered to be killed at the site.
Families, fellow fishermen and coast guard searched the area, but they could find only Kiyomaru and Takeshi’s school uniform.
They thought 3 persons were in disress and died. Funeral service was held.24 Years were passed.
In 1987, Soto-o’s sister received the letter from Soto-o and surprised.
Soto-o wrote “Takeshi and I am living in Gusong, North Korea”.
Takeshi’s father and mother visited to North Korea in1988 and met with Soto-o and Takeshi.
But they couldn’t say how they carried to North Korea because NK officials watched them.
North Korea made the story of their shipwreck accident and lifesaving.
Since then, Takeshi’s parents visited to him a lot of times but Takeshi and his family members cannot say that Takeshi and his uncles were abducted.
In 1997, Megumi Yokota case was appeared in the media and the national congress. Terakoshi’s case was also observed as an abduction case. But “he” denied that he was abducted and praised North Korea and the Kim family.
In December 2001, Pyongyang publishing company published a book named “Sea of Mercy”.
The author is Kim Myong-ho, Takeshi’s Korean name.
In that book, Takeshi wrote that they are not the abduction victims but happily living in North Korea after they ware saved. Moreover “he" denied other abduction case such as Megumi Yokota and Yaeko Taguchi in this book.
Nine months later, Kim Jong-il admitted and appologized for the abduction activities.
But North Korea still denies Terakoshi’s case as abduction and Takeshi and his family cannot say he was abduction victim because Takeshi himself is a hostage.
“Sea of Mercy”, the title is a symbol of North Korean regime.
◆昭和５２（１９７７）年１１月１５日
少女拉致容疑事案
被害者：横田めぐみさん（Megumi Yokota）
（拉致被害時１３歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
新潟市において下校途中に失踪。
平成１６年１１月に開催された第３回実務者協議において、北朝鮮側はめぐみさんが１９９４（平成６）年４月に死亡したとし「遺骨」を提出したが、めぐみさんの「遺骨」とされた骨の一部からは同人のものとは異なるＤＮＡが検出されたとの鑑定結果を得た。
平成１８年４月には日本政府の実施したＤＮＡ検査により、横田めぐみさんの夫が昭和５３年に韓国より拉致された当時高校生の韓国人拉致被害者・金英男（キム・ヨンナム）氏である可能性が高いことが判明した。
Abductee: Megumi Yokota (13, female, Niigata Prefecture)
Disappeared on her way home from school in Niigata City.
During the third round of Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations in November 2004, North Korea claimed that Megumi Yokota died in April 1994 and handed over what it claimed were her remains. DNA analysis, however, indicates that some of the bones from these remains belong in fact to a different person or persons.
Additional DNA analysis conducted in April 2006 by the GoJ indicated a high probability that Kim Young-Nam, a Korean citizen abducted from the Republic of Korea in 1978 when he was a high-school student, was married to Ms. Yokota.
◆昭和５３（１９７８）年６月頃
元飲食店店員拉致容疑事案
被害者：田中 実さん（Minoru Tanaka）
（拉致被害時２８歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
欧州に向け出国したあと失踪。
平成１４年１０月にクアラルンプールで行われた日・朝国交正常化交渉第１２回本会談及び平成１６年に計３回行われた日・朝実務者協議において我が方から北朝鮮側に情報提供を求めたが、第３回協議において北朝鮮側より北朝鮮に入境したことは確認できなかった旨回答があった。
平成１７年４月に田中 実さんが拉致認定されて以降、政府は北朝鮮側に対し即時帰国及び事案に関する真相究明を求めてきているが、これまでに回答はない。
■兵庫県警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/
■救う会兵庫ＨＰ
http://www.sukuukai078.net/04.html
■救う会兵庫facebook
http://www.facebook.com/sukuukai078
［In or around June 1978: Former restaurant worker abducted］
Abductee: Minoru Tanaka (28, male, Hyogo Prefecture)
Disappeared after departing Japan for Europe.
The GoJ requested that North Korea provide information on this case at the 12th round of Japan-North Korea Normalization Talks held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2002 and all three Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations held in 2004. During the third round of consultations, North Korea asserted that there is no evidence that Mr. Tanaka had ever entered North Korean territory.
Since April 2005, when the GoJ officially identified Minoru Tanaka as an abductee, the GoJ has demanded that North Korea immediately allow him to return to Japan and provide a full accounting of his case. North Korea, however, has not responded.
【ＳＥＡ ＯＦ ＭＥＲＣＹ】
The book named “Sea of Mercy”
13-year- old junior high school student Takeshi Terakoshi was abducted in May 1963.
He went fishing with his two uncle, Shoji and Soto-o Terakoshi. The fishingboat named Kiyomaru left for the fishing ground nearby Noto island, Ishikawa prefecture.
Kiyomaru encountered North Korean spy vessel. Spies were afraid of detection.
Soto-o and Takeshi were abducted and carried to Chong-jin city. Shoji was considered to be killed at the site.
Families, fellow fishermen and coast guard searched the area, but they could find only Kiyomaru and Takeshi’s school uniform.
They thought 3 persons were in disress and died. Funeral service was held.24 Years were passed.
In 1987, Soto-o’s sister received the letter from Soto-o and surprised.
Soto-o wrote “Takeshi and I am living in Gusong, North Korea”.
Takeshi’s father and mother visited to North Korea in1988 and met with Soto-o and Takeshi.
But they couldn’t say how they carried to North Korea because NK officials watched them.
North Korea made the story of their shipwreck accident and lifesaving.
Since then, Takeshi’s parents visited to him a lot of times but Takeshi and his family members cannot say that Takeshi and his uncles were abducted.
In 1997, Megumi Yokota case was appeared in the media and the national congress. Terakoshi’s case was also observed as an abduction case. But “he” denied that he was abducted and praised North Korea and the Kim family.
In December 2001, Pyongyang publishing company published a book named “Sea of Mercy”.
The author is Kim Myong-ho, Takeshi’s Korean name.
In that book, Takeshi wrote that they are not the abduction victims but happily living in North Korea after they ware saved. Moreover “he" denied other abduction case such as Megumi Yokota and Yaeko Taguchi in this book.
Nine months later, Kim Jong-il admitted and appologized for the abduction activities.
But North Korea still denies Terakoshi’s case as abduction and Takeshi and his family cannot say he was abduction victim because Takeshi himself is a hostage.
“Sea of Mercy”, the title is a symbol of North Korean regime.
■政府拉致問題ＨＰ
http://www.rachi.go.jp/
■警察庁ＨＰ
http://www.npa.go.jp/
■北海道警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/
■救う会道南ＨＰ
http://www.satoukenji.jp/sukuukai_dounan/
■救う会全国協議会ＨＰ
http://www.sukuukai.jp/
■特定失踪者問題調査会ＨＰ
http://www.chosa-kai.jp/
■北朝鮮帰国者の生命と人権を守る会ＨＰ
http://hrnk.trycomp.net/
■Ｎｏ Ｆｅｎｃｅ北朝鮮の強制収容所をなくすアクションの会ＨＰ
http://www.nofence.jp/
■北朝鮮人権人道ネットワークfacebook
http://www.facebook.com/nknet2015
■実録！絵で見る北朝鮮「教化所」拷問の実態「ＴＨＥ ＦＡＣＴ」
https://youtu.be/QBJcDDGwdFo
■ＶＯＡ拉致問題動画
https://youtu.be/o2i_u8y8GJM
■国連の北朝鮮人権調査委員会は２０１４年２月、北朝鮮帰還事業や拉致問題を含む北朝鮮政府による人権侵害を「人道に対する罪」と認定する最終報告書を発表しました。
＜原文＞
『Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea』
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/CoIDPRK/Pages/ReportoftheCommissionofInquiryDPRK.aspx
＜日本語訳＞
『北朝鮮における人権に関する国連調査委員会（ＣＯＩ）最終報告書』
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/fp/hr_ha/page18_000274.html
■加藤 健ブログ「天を回せ！ロビー活動で挑む」
http://kenkato.blog.jp/
■ベナＴＶＨＰ
http://www.benamu.org
■ベナＴＶブログ
http://blog.naver.com/benamu1004
■ベナＴＶFacebook
http://www.facebook.com/bnatv1004
■北朝鮮を離れて自由へ★イ・エラン★のブログ
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/aeran2000
■姜哲煥（カン・チョルファン）さん動画
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8wXjTN2W8E&feature=youtu.be
■脱北者トーク番組動画
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJZWxe9P-L8&feature=youtu.be
■脱北者・金柱聖さんの動画［前編］（日本語訳付き）
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCPxzwHK8fQ&feature=youtu.be
■脱北者・金柱聖さんの動画［後編］（日本語訳付き）
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq4sYy6d6EA&feature=youtu.be
■脱北者・金柱聖さんの動画（３）
https://youtu.be/pMC2G7akiiM
■ベナＴＶ（日本語版）
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YHLDtOoJOo
■ベナＴＶ（日本語版）動画
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeCTTaSgwx4&feature=youtu.be
■ベナＴＶ（日本語版）動画
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WZoh00PGV8
■ベナ救出団：日本語（１）
https://youtu.be/USkALHXYyfI
■ベナ救出団：日本語（２）
https://youtu.be/W9yxZD9sjuM
■ベナ救出団：日本語（３）
https://youtu.be/Mv2kbq4hamU
■ベナ救出団：日本語（４）
https://youtu.be/xpocs10Hx0E
■ベナ救出団：日本語（５）
https://youtu.be/SYT--pNiFqc
■ベナ救出団：日本語（６）
https://youtu.be/p1MN3RHXQBc
◆昭和５５（１９８０）年５月頃
欧州における日本人男性拉致容疑事案
被害者：石岡 亨さん（To-o-ru Ishioka）
（拉致被害時２２歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
被害者：松木 薫さん（Kaoru Matsuki）
（拉致被害時２６歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
２人とも欧州滞在中の昭和５５年に失踪。
昭和６３年に石岡さんから日本の家族に出した手紙（ポーランドの消印）が届き、石岡さん、松木さん、そして有本恵子さんが北朝鮮に在住すると伝えてきた。
北朝鮮側は、石岡 亨さんは１９８８（昭和６３）年１１月にガス事故で有本恵子さんと共に死亡したとしているが、これを裏付ける資料等の提供はなされていない。
また、同様に松木 薫さんについても、１９９６（平成８）年８月に交通事故で死亡したとして、平成１４年９月及び平成１６年１１月に開催された第３回日・朝実務者協議と２回にわたり、北朝鮮側から松木さんの「遺骨」の可能性があるとされるものが提出されたが、そのうちの一部からは、同人のものとは異なるＤＮＡが検出されたとの鑑定結果を得た。
捜査当局は拉致実行犯である「よど号」犯人の妻・森 順子及び若林（旧姓：黒田）佐喜子について、平成１９年６月に逮捕状の発付を得て国際手配するとともに、政府として北朝鮮側に身柄の引渡しを要求している。
■北海道警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/
■熊本県警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.kumamoto.jp/
［In or around May 1980: Two Japanese men abducted in Europe］
Abductees: Toru Ishioka (22, male, Europe), Kaoru Matsuki (26, male, Europe)
Both men disappeared while living in Europe in 1980. A letter postmarked in Poland and sent by Mr. Ishioka in 1988 to his family in Japan indicated that he, Mr. Matsuki and Keiko Arimoto (see 12 below) were all living in North Korea.
North Korea asserts that Mr. Ishioka and Ms. Arimoto died in a gas poisoning accident in November 1988, but has provided no documents or evidence to support these claims. North Korea also asserts that Mr. Matsuki died in an automobile accident in August 1996. In September 2002, and at the Third Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations held in September 2002 and November 2004, North Korea handed over remains possibly belonging to Mr. Matsuki, but analysis in Japan indicates that these remains contain DNA belonging to someone else.
The Japanese authorities issued arrest warrants in June 2007 for Junko Mori and Sakiko Wakabayashi (nee Kuroda), wives of Yodo-go members, who are believed to be responsible for these abductions, and listed them both with Interpol. The GoJ demands that North Korea extradite them to Japan.
◆昭和５３（１９７８）年６月頃
元飲食店店員拉致容疑事案
被害者：田中 実さん（Minoru Tanaka）
（拉致被害時２８歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
欧州に向け出国したあと失踪。
平成１４年１０月にクアラルンプールで行われた日・朝国交正常化交渉第１２回本会談及び平成１６年に計３回行われた日・朝実務者協議において我が方から北朝鮮側に情報提供を求めたが、第３回協議において北朝鮮側より北朝鮮に入境したことは確認できなかった旨回答があった。
平成１７年４月に田中 実さんが拉致認定されて以降、政府は北朝鮮側に対し即時帰国及び事案に関する真相究明を求めてきているが、これまでに回答はない。
■兵庫県警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/
■救う会兵庫ＨＰ
http://www.sukuukai078.net/04.html
■救う会兵庫facebook
http://www.facebook.com/sukuukai078
［In or around June 1978: Former restaurant worker abducted］
Abductee: Minoru Tanaka (28, male, Hyogo Prefecture)
Disappeared after departing Japan for Europe.
The GoJ requested that North Korea provide information on this case at the 12th round of Japan-North Korea Normalization Talks held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2002 and all three Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations held in 2004. During the third round of consultations, North Korea asserted that there is no evidence that Mr. Tanaka had ever entered North Korean territory.
Since April 2005, when the GoJ officially identified Minoru Tanaka as an abductee, the GoJ has demanded that North Korea immediately allow him to return to Japan and provide a full accounting of his case. North Korea, however, has not responded.
【ＳＥＡ ＯＦ ＭＥＲＣＹ】
The book named “Sea of Mercy”
13-year- old junior high school student Takeshi Terakoshi was abducted in May 1963.
He went fishing with his two uncle, Shoji and Soto-o Terakoshi. The fishingboat named Kiyomaru left for the fishing ground nearby Noto island, Ishikawa prefecture.
Kiyomaru encountered North Korean spy vessel. Spies were afraid of detection.
Soto-o and Takeshi were abducted and carried to Chong-jin city. Shoji was considered to be killed at the site.
Families, fellow fishermen and coast guard searched the area, but they could find only Kiyomaru and Takeshi’s school uniform.
They thought 3 persons were in disress and died. Funeral service was held.24 Years were passed.
In 1987, Soto-o’s sister received the letter from Soto-o and surprised.
Soto-o wrote “Takeshi and I am living in Gusong, North Korea”.
Takeshi’s father and mother visited to North Korea in1988 and met with Soto-o and Takeshi.
But they couldn’t say how they carried to North Korea because NK officials watched them.
North Korea made the story of their shipwreck accident and lifesaving.
Since then, Takeshi’s parents visited to him a lot of times but Takeshi and his family members cannot say that Takeshi and his uncles were abducted.
In 1997, Megumi Yokota case was appeared in the media and the national congress. Terakoshi’s case was also observed as an abduction case. But “he” denied that he was abducted and praised North Korea and the Kim family.
In December 2001, Pyongyang publishing company published a book named “Sea of Mercy”.
The author is Kim Myong-ho, Takeshi’s Korean name.
In that book, Takeshi wrote that they are not the abduction victims but happily living in North Korea after they ware saved. Moreover “he" denied other abduction case such as Megumi Yokota and Yaeko Taguchi in this book.
Nine months later, Kim Jong-il admitted and appologized for the abduction activities.
But North Korea still denies Terakoshi’s case as abduction and Takeshi and his family cannot say he was abduction victim because Takeshi himself is a hostage.
“Sea of Mercy”, the title is a symbol of North Korean regime.
◆昭和５２（１９７７）年１１月１５日
少女拉致容疑事案
被害者：横田めぐみさん（Megumi Yokota）
（拉致被害時１３歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
新潟市において下校途中に失踪。
平成１６年１１月に開催された第３回実務者協議において、北朝鮮側はめぐみさんが１９９４（平成６）年４月に死亡したとし「遺骨」を提出したが、めぐみさんの「遺骨」とされた骨の一部からは同人のものとは異なるＤＮＡが検出されたとの鑑定結果を得た。
平成１８年４月には日本政府の実施したＤＮＡ検査により、横田めぐみさんの夫が昭和５３年に韓国より拉致された当時高校生の韓国人拉致被害者・金英男（キム・ヨンナム）氏である可能性が高いことが判明した。
Abductee: Megumi Yokota (13, female, Niigata Prefecture)
Disappeared on her way home from school in Niigata City.
During the third round of Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations in November 2004, North Korea claimed that Megumi Yokota died in April 1994 and handed over what it claimed were her remains. DNA analysis, however, indicates that some of the bones from these remains belong in fact to a different person or persons.
Additional DNA analysis conducted in April 2006 by the GoJ indicated a high probability that Kim Young-Nam, a Korean citizen abducted from the Republic of Korea in 1978 when he was a high-school student, was married to Ms. Yokota.
◆昭和５５（１９８０）年５月頃
欧州における日本人男性拉致容疑事案
被害者：石岡 亨さん（To-o-ru Ishioka）
（拉致被害時２２歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
被害者：松木 薫さん（Kaoru Matsuki）
（拉致被害時２６歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
２人とも欧州滞在中の昭和５５年に失踪。
昭和６３年に石岡さんから日本の家族に出した手紙（ポーランドの消印）が届き、石岡さん、松木さん、そして有本恵子さんが北朝鮮に在住すると伝えてきた。
北朝鮮側は、石岡 亨さんは１９８８（昭和６３）年１１月にガス事故で有本恵子さんと共に死亡したとしているが、これを裏付ける資料等の提供はなされていない。
また、同様に松木 薫さんについても、１９９６（平成８）年８月に交通事故で死亡したとして、平成１４年９月及び平成１６年１１月に開催された第３回日・朝実務者協議と２回にわたり、北朝鮮側から松木さんの「遺骨」の可能性があるとされるものが提出されたが、そのうちの一部からは、同人のものとは異なるＤＮＡが検出されたとの鑑定結果を得た。
捜査当局は拉致実行犯である「よど号」犯人の妻・森 順子及び若林（旧姓：黒田）佐喜子について、平成１９年６月に逮捕状の発付を得て国際手配するとともに、政府として北朝鮮側に身柄の引渡しを要求している。
■北海道警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/
■熊本県警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.kumamoto.jp/
［In or around May 1980: Two Japanese men abducted in Europe］
Abductees: Toru Ishioka (22, male, Europe), Kaoru Matsuki (26, male, Europe)
Both men disappeared while living in Europe in 1980. A letter postmarked in Poland and sent by Mr. Ishioka in 1988 to his family in Japan indicated that he, Mr. Matsuki and Keiko Arimoto (see 12 below) were all living in North Korea.
North Korea asserts that Mr. Ishioka and Ms. Arimoto died in a gas poisoning accident in November 1988, but has provided no documents or evidence to support these claims. North Korea also asserts that Mr. Matsuki died in an automobile accident in August 1996. In September 2002, and at the Third Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations held in September 2002 and November 2004, North Korea handed over remains possibly belonging to Mr. Matsuki, but analysis in Japan indicates that these remains contain DNA belonging to someone else.
The Japanese authorities issued arrest warrants in June 2007 for Junko Mori and Sakiko Wakabayashi (nee Kuroda), wives of Yodo-go members, who are believed to be responsible for these abductions, and listed them both with Interpol. The GoJ demands that North Korea extradite them to Japan.
◆昭和５３（１９７８）年６月頃
元飲食店店員拉致容疑事案
被害者：田中 実さん（Minoru Tanaka）
（拉致被害時２８歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
欧州に向け出国したあと失踪。
平成１４年１０月にクアラルンプールで行われた日・朝国交正常化交渉第１２回本会談及び平成１６年に計３回行われた日・朝実務者協議において我が方から北朝鮮側に情報提供を求めたが、第３回協議において北朝鮮側より北朝鮮に入境したことは確認できなかった旨回答があった。
平成１７年４月に田中 実さんが拉致認定されて以降、政府は北朝鮮側に対し即時帰国及び事案に関する真相究明を求めてきているが、これまでに回答はない。
■兵庫県警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/
■救う会兵庫ＨＰ
http://www.sukuukai078.net/04.html
■救う会兵庫facebook
http://www.facebook.com/sukuukai078
［In or around June 1978: Former restaurant worker abducted］
Abductee: Minoru Tanaka (28, male, Hyogo Prefecture)
Disappeared after departing Japan for Europe.
The GoJ requested that North Korea provide information on this case at the 12th round of Japan-North Korea Normalization Talks held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2002 and all three Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations held in 2004. During the third round of consultations, North Korea asserted that there is no evidence that Mr. Tanaka had ever entered North Korean territory.
Since April 2005, when the GoJ officially identified Minoru Tanaka as an abductee, the GoJ has demanded that North Korea immediately allow him to return to Japan and provide a full accounting of his case. North Korea, however, has not responded.
【ＳＥＡ ＯＦ ＭＥＲＣＹ】
The book named “Sea of Mercy”
13-year- old junior high school student Takeshi Terakoshi was abducted in May 1963.
He went fishing with his two uncle, Shoji and Soto-o Terakoshi. The fishingboat named Kiyomaru left for the fishing ground nearby Noto island, Ishikawa prefecture.
Kiyomaru encountered North Korean spy vessel. Spies were afraid of detection.
Soto-o and Takeshi were abducted and carried to Chong-jin city. Shoji was considered to be killed at the site.
Families, fellow fishermen and coast guard searched the area, but they could find only Kiyomaru and Takeshi’s school uniform.
They thought 3 persons were in disress and died. Funeral service was held.24 Years were passed.
In 1987, Soto-o’s sister received the letter from Soto-o and surprised.
Soto-o wrote “Takeshi and I am living in Gusong, North Korea”.
Takeshi’s father and mother visited to North Korea in1988 and met with Soto-o and Takeshi.
But they couldn’t say how they carried to North Korea because NK officials watched them.
North Korea made the story of their shipwreck accident and lifesaving.
Since then, Takeshi’s parents visited to him a lot of times but Takeshi and his family members cannot say that Takeshi and his uncles were abducted.
In 1997, Megumi Yokota case was appeared in the media and the national congress. Terakoshi’s case was also observed as an abduction case. But “he” denied that he was abducted and praised North Korea and the Kim family.
In December 2001, Pyongyang publishing company published a book named “Sea of Mercy”.
The author is Kim Myong-ho, Takeshi’s Korean name.
In that book, Takeshi wrote that they are not the abduction victims but happily living in North Korea after they ware saved. Moreover “he" denied other abduction case such as Megumi Yokota and Yaeko Taguchi in this book.
Nine months later, Kim Jong-il admitted and appologized for the abduction activities.
But North Korea still denies Terakoshi’s case as abduction and Takeshi and his family cannot say he was abduction victim because Takeshi himself is a hostage.
“Sea of Mercy”, the title is a symbol of North Korean regime.
◆昭和５２（１９７７）年１１月１５日
少女拉致容疑事案
被害者：横田めぐみさん（Megumi Yokota）
（拉致被害時１３歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
新潟市において下校途中に失踪。
平成１６年１１月に開催された第３回実務者協議において、北朝鮮側はめぐみさんが１９９４（平成６）年４月に死亡したとし「遺骨」を提出したが、めぐみさんの「遺骨」とされた骨の一部からは同人のものとは異なるＤＮＡが検出されたとの鑑定結果を得た。
平成１８年４月には日本政府の実施したＤＮＡ検査により、横田めぐみさんの夫が昭和５３年に韓国より拉致された当時高校生の韓国人拉致被害者・金英男（キム・ヨンナム）氏である可能性が高いことが判明した。
Abductee: Megumi Yokota (13, female, Niigata Prefecture)
Disappeared on her way home from school in Niigata City.
During the third round of Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations in November 2004, North Korea claimed that Megumi Yokota died in April 1994 and handed over what it claimed were her remains. DNA analysis, however, indicates that some of the bones from these remains belong in fact to a different person or persons.
Additional DNA analysis conducted in April 2006 by the GoJ indicated a high probability that Kim Young-Nam, a Korean citizen abducted from the Republic of Korea in 1978 when he was a high-school student, was married to Ms. Yokota.
◆昭和５３（１９７８）年６月頃
元飲食店店員拉致容疑事案
被害者：田中 実さん（Minoru Tanaka）
（拉致被害時２８歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
欧州に向け出国したあと失踪。
平成１４年１０月にクアラルンプールで行われた日・朝国交正常化交渉第１２回本会談及び平成１６年に計３回行われた日・朝実務者協議において我が方から北朝鮮側に情報提供を求めたが、第３回協議において北朝鮮側より北朝鮮に入境したことは確認できなかった旨回答があった。
平成１７年４月に田中 実さんが拉致認定されて以降、政府は北朝鮮側に対し即時帰国及び事案に関する真相究明を求めてきているが、これまでに回答はない。
■兵庫県警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/
■救う会兵庫ＨＰ
http://www.sukuukai078.net/04.html
■救う会兵庫facebook
http://www.facebook.com/sukuukai078
［In or around June 1978: Former restaurant worker abducted］
Abductee: Minoru Tanaka (28, male, Hyogo Prefecture)
Disappeared after departing Japan for Europe.
The GoJ requested that North Korea provide information on this case at the 12th round of Japan-North Korea Normalization Talks held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2002 and all three Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations held in 2004. During the third round of consultations, North Korea asserted that there is no evidence that Mr. Tanaka had ever entered North Korean territory.
Since April 2005, when the GoJ officially identified Minoru Tanaka as an abductee, the GoJ has demanded that North Korea immediately allow him to return to Japan and provide a full accounting of his case. North Korea, however, has not responded.
【ＳＥＡ ＯＦ ＭＥＲＣＹ】
The book named “Sea of Mercy”
13-year- old junior high school student Takeshi Terakoshi was abducted in May 1963.
He went fishing with his two uncle, Shoji and Soto-o Terakoshi. The fishingboat named Kiyomaru left for the fishing ground nearby Noto island, Ishikawa prefecture.
Kiyomaru encountered North Korean spy vessel. Spies were afraid of detection.
Soto-o and Takeshi were abducted and carried to Chong-jin city. Shoji was considered to be killed at the site.
Families, fellow fishermen and coast guard searched the area, but they could find only Kiyomaru and Takeshi’s school uniform.
They thought 3 persons were in disress and died. Funeral service was held.24 Years were passed.
In 1987, Soto-o’s sister received the letter from Soto-o and surprised.
Soto-o wrote “Takeshi and I am living in Gusong, North Korea”.
Takeshi’s father and mother visited to North Korea in1988 and met with Soto-o and Takeshi.
But they couldn’t say how they carried to North Korea because NK officials watched them.
North Korea made the story of their shipwreck accident and lifesaving.
Since then, Takeshi’s parents visited to him a lot of times but Takeshi and his family members cannot say that Takeshi and his uncles were abducted.
In 1997, Megumi Yokota case was appeared in the media and the national congress. Terakoshi’s case was also observed as an abduction case. But “he” denied that he was abducted and praised North Korea and the Kim family.
In December 2001, Pyongyang publishing company published a book named “Sea of Mercy”.
The author is Kim Myong-ho, Takeshi’s Korean name.
In that book, Takeshi wrote that they are not the abduction victims but happily living in North Korea after they ware saved. Moreover “he" denied other abduction case such as Megumi Yokota and Yaeko Taguchi in this book.
Nine months later, Kim Jong-il admitted and appologized for the abduction activities.
But North Korea still denies Terakoshi’s case as abduction and Takeshi and his family cannot say he was abduction victim because Takeshi himself is a hostage.
“Sea of Mercy”, the title is a symbol of North Korean regime.
◆昭和５３（１９７８）年６月頃
元飲食店店員拉致容疑事案
被害者：田中 実さん（Minoru Tanaka）
（拉致被害時２８歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
欧州に向け出国したあと失踪。
平成１４年１０月にクアラルンプールで行われた日・朝国交正常化交渉第１２回本会談及び平成１６年に計３回行われた日・朝実務者協議において我が方から北朝鮮側に情報提供を求めたが、第３回協議において北朝鮮側より北朝鮮に入境したことは確認できなかった旨回答があった。
平成１７年４月に田中 実さんが拉致認定されて以降、政府は北朝鮮側に対し即時帰国及び事案に関する真相究明を求めてきているが、これまでに回答はない。
■兵庫県警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/
■救う会兵庫ＨＰ
http://www.sukuukai078.net/04.html
■救う会兵庫facebook
http://www.facebook.com/sukuukai078
［In or around June 1978: Former restaurant worker abducted］
Abductee: Minoru Tanaka (28, male, Hyogo Prefecture)
Disappeared after departing Japan for Europe.
The GoJ requested that North Korea provide information on this case at the 12th round of Japan-North Korea Normalization Talks held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2002 and all three Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations held in 2004. During the third round of consultations, North Korea asserted that there is no evidence that Mr. Tanaka had ever entered North Korean territory.
Since April 2005, when the GoJ officially identified Minoru Tanaka as an abductee, the GoJ has demanded that North Korea immediately allow him to return to Japan and provide a full accounting of his case. North Korea, however, has not responded.
【ＳＥＡ ＯＦ ＭＥＲＣＹ】
The book named “Sea of Mercy”
13-year- old junior high school student Takeshi Terakoshi was abducted in May 1963.
He went fishing with his two uncle, Shoji and Soto-o Terakoshi. The fishingboat named Kiyomaru left for the fishing ground nearby Noto island, Ishikawa prefecture.
Kiyomaru encountered North Korean spy vessel. Spies were afraid of detection.
Soto-o and Takeshi were abducted and carried to Chong-jin city. Shoji was considered to be killed at the site.
Families, fellow fishermen and coast guard searched the area, but they could find only Kiyomaru and Takeshi’s school uniform.
They thought 3 persons were in disress and died. Funeral service was held.24 Years were passed.
In 1987, Soto-o’s sister received the letter from Soto-o and surprised.
Soto-o wrote “Takeshi and I am living in Gusong, North Korea”.
Takeshi’s father and mother visited to North Korea in1988 and met with Soto-o and Takeshi.
But they couldn’t say how they carried to North Korea because NK officials watched them.
North Korea made the story of their shipwreck accident and lifesaving.
Since then, Takeshi’s parents visited to him a lot of times but Takeshi and his family members cannot say that Takeshi and his uncles were abducted.
In 1997, Megumi Yokota case was appeared in the media and the national congress. Terakoshi’s case was also observed as an abduction case. But “he” denied that he was abducted and praised North Korea and the Kim family.
In December 2001, Pyongyang publishing company published a book named “Sea of Mercy”.
The author is Kim Myong-ho, Takeshi’s Korean name.
In that book, Takeshi wrote that they are not the abduction victims but happily living in North Korea after they ware saved. Moreover “he" denied other abduction case such as Megumi Yokota and Yaeko Taguchi in this book.
Nine months later, Kim Jong-il admitted and appologized for the abduction activities.
But North Korea still denies Terakoshi’s case as abduction and Takeshi and his family cannot say he was abduction victim because Takeshi himself is a hostage.
“Sea of Mercy”, the title is a symbol of North Korean regime.
◆昭和５２（１９７７）年１１月１５日
少女拉致容疑事案
被害者：横田めぐみさん（Megumi Yokota）
（拉致被害時１３歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
新潟市において下校途中に失踪。
平成１６年１１月に開催された第３回実務者協議において、北朝鮮側はめぐみさんが１９９４（平成６）年４月に死亡したとし「遺骨」を提出したが、めぐみさんの「遺骨」とされた骨の一部からは同人のものとは異なるＤＮＡが検出されたとの鑑定結果を得た。
平成１８年４月には日本政府の実施したＤＮＡ検査により、横田めぐみさんの夫が昭和５３年に韓国より拉致された当時高校生の韓国人拉致被害者・金英男（キム・ヨンナム）氏である可能性が高いことが判明した。
Abductee: Megumi Yokota (13, female, Niigata Prefecture)
Disappeared on her way home from school in Niigata City.
During the third round of Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations in November 2004, North Korea claimed that Megumi Yokota died in April 1994 and handed over what it claimed were her remains. DNA analysis, however, indicates that some of the bones from these remains belong in fact to a different person or persons.
Additional DNA analysis conducted in April 2006 by the GoJ indicated a high probability that Kim Young-Nam, a Korean citizen abducted from the Republic of Korea in 1978 when he was a high-school student, was married to Ms. Yokota.
◆昭和５３（１９７８）年６月頃
元飲食店店員拉致容疑事案
被害者：田中 実さん（Minoru Tanaka）
（拉致被害時２８歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
欧州に向け出国したあと失踪。
平成１４年１０月にクアラルンプールで行われた日・朝国交正常化交渉第１２回本会談及び平成１６年に計３回行われた日・朝実務者協議において我が方から北朝鮮側に情報提供を求めたが、第３回協議において北朝鮮側より北朝鮮に入境したことは確認できなかった旨回答があった。
平成１７年４月に田中 実さんが拉致認定されて以降、政府は北朝鮮側に対し即時帰国及び事案に関する真相究明を求めてきているが、これまでに回答はない。
■兵庫県警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/
■救う会兵庫ＨＰ
http://www.sukuukai078.net/04.html
■救う会兵庫facebook
http://www.facebook.com/sukuukai078
［In or around June 1978: Former restaurant worker abducted］
Abductee: Minoru Tanaka (28, male, Hyogo Prefecture)
Disappeared after departing Japan for Europe.
The GoJ requested that North Korea provide information on this case at the 12th round of Japan-North Korea Normalization Talks held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2002 and all three Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations held in 2004. During the third round of consultations, North Korea asserted that there is no evidence that Mr. Tanaka had ever entered North Korean territory.
Since April 2005, when the GoJ officially identified Minoru Tanaka as an abductee, the GoJ has demanded that North Korea immediately allow him to return to Japan and provide a full accounting of his case. North Korea, however, has not responded.
【ＳＥＡ ＯＦ ＭＥＲＣＹ】
The book named “Sea of Mercy”
13-year- old junior high school student Takeshi Terakoshi was abducted in May 1963.
He went fishing with his two uncle, Shoji and Soto-o Terakoshi. The fishingboat named Kiyomaru left for the fishing ground nearby Noto island, Ishikawa prefecture.
Kiyomaru encountered North Korean spy vessel. Spies were afraid of detection.
Soto-o and Takeshi were abducted and carried to Chong-jin city. Shoji was considered to be killed at the site.
Families, fellow fishermen and coast guard searched the area, but they could find only Kiyomaru and Takeshi’s school uniform.
They thought 3 persons were in disress and died. Funeral service was held.24 Years were passed.
In 1987, Soto-o’s sister received the letter from Soto-o and surprised.
Soto-o wrote “Takeshi and I am living in Gusong, North Korea”.
Takeshi’s father and mother visited to North Korea in1988 and met with Soto-o and Takeshi.
But they couldn’t say how they carried to North Korea because NK officials watched them.
North Korea made the story of their shipwreck accident and lifesaving.
Since then, Takeshi’s parents visited to him a lot of times but Takeshi and his family members cannot say that Takeshi and his uncles were abducted.
In 1997, Megumi Yokota case was appeared in the media and the national congress. Terakoshi’s case was also observed as an abduction case. But “he” denied that he was abducted and praised North Korea and the Kim family.
In December 2001, Pyongyang publishing company published a book named “Sea of Mercy”.
The author is Kim Myong-ho, Takeshi’s Korean name.
In that book, Takeshi wrote that they are not the abduction victims but happily living in North Korea after they ware saved. Moreover “he" denied other abduction case such as Megumi Yokota and Yaeko Taguchi in this book.
Nine months later, Kim Jong-il admitted and appologized for the abduction activities.
But North Korea still denies Terakoshi’s case as abduction and Takeshi and his family cannot say he was abduction victim because Takeshi himself is a hostage.
“Sea of Mercy”, the title is a symbol of North Korean regime.
◆昭和５２（１９７７）年１１月１５日
少女拉致容疑事案
被害者：横田めぐみさん（Megumi Yokota）
（拉致被害時１３歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
新潟市において下校途中に失踪。
平成１６年１１月に開催された第３回実務者協議において、北朝鮮側はめぐみさんが１９９４（平成６）年４月に死亡したとし「遺骨」を提出したが、めぐみさんの「遺骨」とされた骨の一部からは同人のものとは異なるＤＮＡが検出されたとの鑑定結果を得た。
平成１８年４月には日本政府の実施したＤＮＡ検査により、横田めぐみさんの夫が昭和５３年に韓国より拉致された当時高校生の韓国人拉致被害者・金英男（キム・ヨンナム）氏である可能性が高いことが判明した。
Abductee: Megumi Yokota (13, female, Niigata Prefecture)
Disappeared on her way home from school in Niigata City.
During the third round of Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations in November 2004, North Korea claimed that Megumi Yokota died in April 1994 and handed over what it claimed were her remains. DNA analysis, however, indicates that some of the bones from these remains belong in fact to a different person or persons.
Additional DNA analysis conducted in April 2006 by the GoJ indicated a high probability that Kim Young-Nam, a Korean citizen abducted from the Republic of Korea in 1978 when he was a high-school student, was married to Ms. Yokota.
◆昭和５３（１９７８）年６月頃
元飲食店店員拉致容疑事案
被害者：田中 実さん（Minoru Tanaka）
（拉致被害時２８歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
欧州に向け出国したあと失踪。
平成１４年１０月にクアラルンプールで行われた日・朝国交正常化交渉第１２回本会談及び平成１６年に計３回行われた日・朝実務者協議において我が方から北朝鮮側に情報提供を求めたが、第３回協議において北朝鮮側より北朝鮮に入境したことは確認できなかった旨回答があった。
平成１７年４月に田中 実さんが拉致認定されて以降、政府は北朝鮮側に対し即時帰国及び事案に関する真相究明を求めてきているが、これまでに回答はない。
■兵庫県警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/
■救う会兵庫ＨＰ
http://www.sukuukai078.net/04.html
■救う会兵庫facebook
http://www.facebook.com/sukuukai078
［In or around June 1978: Former restaurant worker abducted］
Abductee: Minoru Tanaka (28, male, Hyogo Prefecture)
Disappeared after departing Japan for Europe.
The GoJ requested that North Korea provide information on this case at the 12th round of Japan-North Korea Normalization Talks held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2002 and all three Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations held in 2004. During the third round of consultations, North Korea asserted that there is no evidence that Mr. Tanaka had ever entered North Korean territory.
Since April 2005, when the GoJ officially identified Minoru Tanaka as an abductee, the GoJ has demanded that North Korea immediately allow him to return to Japan and provide a full accounting of his case. North Korea, however, has not responded.
【ＳＥＡ ＯＦ ＭＥＲＣＹ】
The book named “Sea of Mercy”
13-year- old junior high school student Takeshi Terakoshi was abducted in May 1963.
He went fishing with his two uncle, Shoji and Soto-o Terakoshi. The fishingboat named Kiyomaru left for the fishing ground nearby Noto island, Ishikawa prefecture.
Kiyomaru encountered North Korean spy vessel. Spies were afraid of detection.
Soto-o and Takeshi were abducted and carried to Chong-jin city. Shoji was considered to be killed at the site.
Families, fellow fishermen and coast guard searched the area, but they could find only Kiyomaru and Takeshi’s school uniform.
They thought 3 persons were in disress and died. Funeral service was held.24 Years were passed.
In 1987, Soto-o’s sister received the letter from Soto-o and surprised.
Soto-o wrote “Takeshi and I am living in Gusong, North Korea”.
Takeshi’s father and mother visited to North Korea in1988 and met with Soto-o and Takeshi.
But they couldn’t say how they carried to North Korea because NK officials watched them.
North Korea made the story of their shipwreck accident and lifesaving.
Since then, Takeshi’s parents visited to him a lot of times but Takeshi and his family members cannot say that Takeshi and his uncles were abducted.
In 1997, Megumi Yokota case was appeared in the media and the national congress. Terakoshi’s case was also observed as an abduction case. But “he” denied that he was abducted and praised North Korea and the Kim family.
In December 2001, Pyongyang publishing company published a book named “Sea of Mercy”.
The author is Kim Myong-ho, Takeshi’s Korean name.
In that book, Takeshi wrote that they are not the abduction victims but happily living in North Korea after they ware saved. Moreover “he" denied other abduction case such as Megumi Yokota and Yaeko Taguchi in this book.
Nine months later, Kim Jong-il admitted and appologized for the abduction activities.
But North Korea still denies Terakoshi’s case as abduction and Takeshi and his family cannot say he was abduction victim because Takeshi himself is a hostage.
“Sea of Mercy”, the title is a symbol of North Korean regime.
◆昭和５２（１９７７）年１１月１５日
少女拉致容疑事案
被害者：横田めぐみさん（Megumi Yokota）
（拉致被害時１３歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
新潟市において下校途中に失踪。
平成１６年１１月に開催された第３回実務者協議において、北朝鮮側はめぐみさんが１９９４（平成６）年４月に死亡したとし「遺骨」を提出したが、めぐみさんの「遺骨」とされた骨の一部からは同人のものとは異なるＤＮＡが検出されたとの鑑定結果を得た。
平成１８年４月には日本政府の実施したＤＮＡ検査により、横田めぐみさんの夫が昭和５３年に韓国より拉致された当時高校生の韓国人拉致被害者・金英男（キム・ヨンナム）氏である可能性が高いことが判明した。
Abductee: Megumi Yokota (13, female, Niigata Prefecture)
Disappeared on her way home from school in Niigata City.
During the third round of Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations in November 2004, North Korea claimed that Megumi Yokota died in April 1994 and handed over what it claimed were her remains. DNA analysis, however, indicates that some of the bones from these remains belong in fact to a different person or persons.
Additional DNA analysis conducted in April 2006 by the GoJ indicated a high probability that Kim Young-Nam, a Korean citizen abducted from the Republic of Korea in 1978 when he was a high-school student, was married to Ms. Yokota.
◆昭和５３（１９７８）年６月頃
元飲食店店員拉致容疑事案
被害者：田中 実さん（Minoru Tanaka）
（拉致被害時２８歳）
※This person was Abduction by North Korea
欧州に向け出国したあと失踪。
平成１４年１０月にクアラルンプールで行われた日・朝国交正常化交渉第１２回本会談及び平成１６年に計３回行われた日・朝実務者協議において我が方から北朝鮮側に情報提供を求めたが、第３回協議において北朝鮮側より北朝鮮に入境したことは確認できなかった旨回答があった。
平成１７年４月に田中 実さんが拉致認定されて以降、政府は北朝鮮側に対し即時帰国及び事案に関する真相究明を求めてきているが、これまでに回答はない。
■兵庫県警ＨＰ
http://www.police.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/
■救う会兵庫ＨＰ
http://www.sukuukai078.net/04.html
■救う会兵庫facebook
http://www.facebook.com/sukuukai078
［In or around June 1978: Former restaurant worker abducted］
Abductee: Minoru Tanaka (28, male, Hyogo Prefecture)
Disappeared after departing Japan for Europe.
The GoJ requested that North Korea provide information on this case at the 12th round of Japan-North Korea Normalization Talks held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2002 and all three Japan-North Korea Working-Level Consultations held in 2004. During the third round of consultations, North Korea asserted that there is no evidence that Mr. Tanaka had ever entered North Korean territory.
Since April 2005, when the GoJ officially identified Minoru Tanaka as an abductee, the GoJ has demanded that North Korea immediately allow him to return to Japan and provide a full accounting of his case. North Korea, however, has not responded.
【ＳＥＡ ＯＦ ＭＥＲＣＹ】
The book named “Sea of Mercy”
13-year- old junior high school student Takeshi Terakoshi was abducted in May 1963.
He went fishing with his two uncle, Shoji and Soto-o Terakoshi. The fishingboat named Kiyomaru left for the fishing ground nearby Noto island, Ishikawa prefecture.
Kiyomaru encountered North Korean spy vessel. Spies were afraid of detection.
Soto-o and Takeshi were abducted and carried to Chong-jin city. Shoji was considered to be killed at the site.
Families, fellow fishermen and coast guard searched the area, but they could find only Kiyomaru and Takeshi’s school uniform.
They thought 3 persons were in disress and died. Funeral service was held.24 Years were passed.
In 1987, Soto-o’s sister received the letter from Soto-o and surprised.
Soto-o wrote “Takeshi and I am living in Gusong, North Korea”.
Takeshi’s father and mother visited to North Korea in1988 and met with Soto-o and Takeshi.
But they couldn’t say how they carried to North Korea because NK officials watched them.
North Korea made the story of their shipwreck accident and lifesaving.
Since then, Takeshi’s parents visited to him a lot of times but Takeshi and his family members cannot say that Takeshi and his uncles were abducted.
In 1997, Megumi Yokota case was appeared in the media and the national congress. Terakoshi’s case was also observed as an abduction case. But “he” denied that he was abducted and praised North Korea and the Kim family.
In December 2001, Pyongyang publishing company published a book named “Sea of Mercy”.
The author is Kim Myong-ho, Takeshi’s Korean name.
In that book, Takeshi wrote that they are not the abduction victims but happily living in North Korea after they ware saved. Moreover “he" denied other abduction case such as Megumi Yokota and Yaeko Taguchi in this book.
Nine months later, Kim Jong-il admitted and appologized for the abduction activities.
But North Korea still denies Terakoshi’s case as abduction and Takeshi and his family cannot say he was abduction victim because Takeshi himself is a hostage.
“Sea of Mercy”, the title is a symbol of North Korean regime.
I recently visited the Hennessy distillery in Cognac, France, where a cognac expert and tour guide explained the best ways to drink three different types of the spirit.
The younger types of cognacs, VS and VSOP, can be used in a variety of different ways, including in cocktails.
To open up the aroma of a cognac, you can add a bit of cold water if you're drinking it neat.
I recently visited the Hennessy distillery in Cognac, France, a small town about a five-hour drive from Paris. Hennessy, one of the major cognac houses, was founded in 1765 and offers guided tours and tastings at its headquarters on the banks of the Charente River.
On one of these tours, cognac expert and tour guide Gwendoline Poirier explained the best ways to drink three different types of cognac.
With Poirier, I tried three different types of Hennessy cognac: VS, VSOP Privilege, and XO.
Poirier described the taste as "fresh fruits, grapes, and citrus flavors. And after, I can feel more vanilla flavors, toasted almonds, creme brulée, these types of aromas."
You can drink the VS in a variety of different ways, Poirier said.
One of these ways is in a cocktail such as the Summit, which includes lemonade, ginger, and lime. In France, a professional committee in charge of communications for cognac is encouraging more people to try such drinks.
"They're the ones starting to talk about this cocktail and make it a little bit more trendy and something quite easy to drink and to make at home," Poirier said.
You can also, of course, drink it neat or with ice, she said, but it will taste a bit stronger than the longer-aged cognacs.
How to drink VSOP Privilege cognac
The next cognac, VSOP Privilege, which is aged for at least four years on average, is also used in cocktails. At my tasting, I tried a drink called the Sazerac. To make it, a tumbler glass is first "washed" with absinthe, which was once blamed for driving drinkers to insanity.
"[Absinthe] is very powerful, so you won't be able to feel the other ingredients if you have it in the blend," Poirier said.
The Sazerac also includes ginseng, cinnamon and other spices, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters. My cocktail also had a non-traditional ingredient: oolong tea, in celebration of the Chinese New Year, which was coming up at the time of my visit.
How to drink XO cognac
When you level up to the older Hennessy XO, or "Extra Old," which is aged for at least 10 years, you want to drink it either neat or on the rocks, Poirier said. When drinking it neat, you should use a tulip-shaped glass, which allows you to "really enjoy the color thanks to the shape and for the aroma to get to your nose," Poirier told me.
But if you're drinking your cognac with ice, a tumbler glass is best.
You can also simply add cold water to your cognac.
"Water will create a sort of explosion of the molecules, of the aromas, so it's easier to find the aromas," Poirier said. "Even the tasting committees are always adding a bit of water."
According to Poirier, the most important thing is to enjoy cognac however you like it.
"We don't like to tell people, 'OK, this is the good thing, this is the bad thing. This, yes. This, no,'" she said. "It's more advice ... Otherwise, just have fun."
Some think the terms can be used interchangeably, but a Playboy Bunny and a Playboy Playmate are actually not the same.
Bunnies are hired solely to be cocktail servers and hostesses in the Playboy Clubs, while Playmates are featured in the iconic "Centerfold" in Playboy magazine, according to a Playboy spokesperson.
Unlike "Bunny," "Playmate" is considered a lifelong title.
Sometimes — but not often — someone can be both a Bunny and a Playmate.
You've probably heard the terms Playboy Bunny and Playmate tossed around interchangeably — but they're actually completely different roles, a Playboy spokesperson told Business Insider.
"A Playmate is the woman featured in the magazine (representing a particular month) in a pictorial that includes the iconic 'Centerfold,'" Playboy spokesperson Teri Thomerson told Business Insider. "Playmates occasionally appear in Bunny costumes for special events, but do not provide a service hospitality component."
As of December 2018, 777 women have been given the title of "Playboy Playmate" since the inception of the magazine, according to Playboy.
Bunnies, one the other hand, "are hired to be cocktail servers and hostesses only," Thomerson said.
Each Bunny is given a custom-fitted costume that includes a bodysuit, matching ears, collar and cuffs, a bow tie, cuff-links, a Bunny tail, a nameplate, stockings, and shoes.
More than 25,000 Bunnies have worked at Playboy Clubs worldwide over the years, starting with the Bunnies at the first Playboy Club in Chicago in 1960.
But in some cases, Playmates can also be Bunnies, Thomerson said.
Marilyn Cole was Playboy's 1973 Playmate of the Year and also worked as a Bunny at the London Playboy Club from 1971 to 1974, according to Thomerson.
While Bunnies may come and go, Playmates are for life.
"Once a Playmate, always a Playmate, which means we never refer to them as 'ex' or 'former,'" Thomerson said.
Some Playmates are only involved in a one-time appearance in the magazine as Playmate of the Month, Thomerson said, but "there are many Playmates who have remained involved for years, appearing in multiple pictorials and attending special Playboy events as brand ambassadors, oftentimes wearing the Bunny costume."
TheInsider Picksteam writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
Since you don't have all day to scour the web for noteworthy sales and discounts, we rounded up the best bargains for you to shop in one convenient place. For even more deals and savings across the web, check out ourcoupons page.
We love Leesa's mattresses because their medium-soft memory foam keeps you cool and is designed to alleviate pressure, so you'll be comfortable regardless of your sleeping position. For a limited time you can save $150 on the mattress in any size, and if you need bedding, Leesa's sheets are currently 20% off, too. These discounts may not appear on the store page, but they're automatically applied at checkout.
Amazon's new Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof and comes with plenty of storage, so you can carelessly bring your full library to the beach. The Paperwhite is $30 cheaper through February 14 at 9 p.m. PST thanks to Amazon's Valentine's Day sale, which also includes a discount on the Amazon Echo. If you're looking for your first e-reader, you can't go wrong here.
West Elm's modern furniture can elevate a room and replace the holdovers you've had since college, and many of the pieces are hand-crafted. Right now, you can save up to 30% on sofas, sectionals, and chairs in a variety of sizes, styles, and materials. You can shop the sale by furniture type or price, so you're bound to find the perfect piece within your budget.
Founded after a successful 2013 Kickstarter, Olivers Apparel specializes in performance clothing that's sporty enough for workouts, yet comfortable and stylish enough for casual days. Now through February 13, the brand is selling mystery boxes filled with a variety of styles for 50% off. Although you can't pick exactly what's inside, you'll receive a bunch of great pieces in your size.
Best Buy's "deal of the day" section is full of fresh discounts on the latest tech. Today, you can save $30 on a Fujifilm's Instax Mini 9, a modern take on the instant camera. It's available in six colors, and has a viewfinder, selfie mirror, and flash. Its built-in printer will eject your 3.39 x 2.13-inch picture in seconds, so you don't have to wait long between pictures.
While Backcountry sells gear and apparel from most of the top outdoor companies, the brand also has its own line of products. Right now, you can save up to 40% on Backcountry gear and apparel. The sale includes down jackets, fleeces, vests, hats, tents, and much more. If you're interested in great deals beyond Backcountry-branded products, you can also save up to 50% on other brands.
Wayfair's furniture prices are always great because the online-only retailer doesn't have to pay for retail space, and we always find something we like when we shop there. The store is currently holding an "Everything Bedroom" sale, which includes everything from mattresses to multi-piece bedroom sets for up to 70% off. Whether you're shopping for a child, teenager, or adult, there's something for you here.
REI has been outfitting adventurers with outdoor apparel for more than 80 years, and donates millions of dollars to conservation efforts each year. Right now, you can save 50% on men's, women's, and children's outdoor essentials at the store's "Winter Clarence" sale. REI stocks snow boots, jackets, tights, tents, thermoses, and more from well-known companies, and they're a lot cheaper than usual.
President Trump said Friday that he will hold his second summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un in Hanoi and predicted that the authoritarian country would someday become "a great Economic Powerhouse" under Kim's leadership.
In a pair of tweets, Trump praised Kim and said his representatives had...
Trump says North Korea talks productive, summit will be in Hanoi The Saigon Times Daily U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 1, 2019 – PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON (REUTERS) – President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. diplomats had a “very […]
President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. diplomats had a “very productive meeting” with North Korean officials, and he announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be held in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. diplomats had a “very productive meeting” with North Korean officials, and he announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be held in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi.
The State Department said Stephen Biegun had agreed with his counterpart Kim Hyok Chol to meet again ahead of the summit, which Washington has said will take place from Feb. 27-28 in Vietnam. In their talks in Pyongyang from Wednesday until Friday Biegun and Kim Hyok Chol "discussed advancing President Trump and Chairman Kim's Singapore summit commitments of complete denuclearization, transforming U.S.-DPRK relations, and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula." the State Department said.
While announcing an upcoming meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump predicted that North Korea would grow into an "economic powerhouse" under Kim's leadership.
Trump will meet with Kim for the second time in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 27 and 28.
"North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, will become a great Economic Powerhouse," Trump wrote Friday. "He may surprise some but he won't surprise me, because I have gotten to know him & fully understand how capable he is. North Korea will become a different kind of rocket—an Economic one!"
Trump's glowing positivity toward North Korea comes despite the fact that the nation has taken no steps to honor a pledge made in the first Trump/Kim summit to denuclearize.
The result has been a stalemate: North Korea waits for sanctions relief, while the U.S. waits for some sign of denuclearization before providing that relief.
Trump left the first summit by declaring that "everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea."
North Korea did not test any ballistic missiles in 2018, but intelligence shows that some North Korea nuclear testing sites are still functional, although not currently in use.
"While the president has started a promising dialogue with Chairman Kim, we still await concrete steps by North Korea to dismantle the nuclear weapons that threaten our people and our allies in the region," Vice President Mike Pence said in January.
At the top of the Newsdump this morning. President Trump is refusing to report to Congress on the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October..... Later this month the President's son-in-law Jared Kushner is expected to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin-Salman on his visit to five Arab countries to lay out financial plans... But media attention will be on another meeting at that time, this one in Hanoi, Vietam between the President and North Korea's ruler Kim Jong-un..... A second rape allegation against Virginia's Lt. Governor, Democrat Justin Fairfax.... The private investigator...
Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. SUBSCRIBE Feb. 9, 2019, 2:44 PM GMT By Linda Givetash President Donald Trump confirmed Friday that a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be held in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on February […]
In her first race, Kamala Harris campaigned as tough on crime — and unseated the country's most progressive prosecutor https://interc.pt/2RMf1o1 by @lhfang
Kamala Harris is really destroying her own image with this vanity run for president. Most people didn't know about her past. Now they're learning and it's not at all pretty.
Under the former CEO's separation agreement in September, CBS is supposed to pay for an office for Moonves, and is presumably footing the bill for Moon Rise.
Les Moonves, fired by CBS over claims of sexual misconduct, has created three new companies under the banner "Moon Rise," according to a filing with the California Secretary of State.
The filing says that Moon Rise Unlimited, Moon Rise Technologies and Moon Rise Productions have been registered since Oct. 30, and the presumed parent company lists Moonves as the lone manager.
Who is going to work with that creep? I can't believe that. I thought both he and his trashy wife would be humiliated enough to just live in the shadows. Instead, he's setting up shot and she's back to hosting BIG BROTHER.
Former Vice President Joe Biden's words and policy positions on the Iraq War could come back to haunt him if he enters the race for the White House. Biden is popular with Democrats, polls show he leads most of his competitors in the 2020 field and a survey this week found more than 60 percent want him in the race. He routinely leads polls of Democrats asked to pick their favored presidential candidate. But his words on Iraq from nearly two decades ago sound out-of-step with the increasingly left-leaning party he would be seeking to lead. Biden backed the resolution giving President George W. Bush the authority to invade Iraq, and he also praised the president in a Senate floor speech at the time for his handling of the case for war.
Joe did not have the problems that Hillary Clinton or John Edwards had when it came to Iraq. As the late Elizabeth Edwards noted, John Edwards came clean on Iraq and apologized for it but Hillary refused to take accountability for her support for the Iraq War (saying she was tricked by Bully Boy Bush is not taking accountability, it is saying "I"m so stupid even an idiot can fool me").
Parnes notes 2008 in one sentence but never addresses why it wasn't an issue for Joe when he last attempted to be the Democratic Party nominee.
There are several reasons. First among them, the Iraq War wasn't his focus, he was focused on partitioning Iraq or creating a federalist system. He repeatedly denied this was partitioning Iraq. Many Iraqis disagreed. During his brief 2007 and January 2008 campaign for the nomination, he was repeatedly on the defense about this issue. Seeking votes in Iowa in the last stages of his campaign, he was still having to face the issue and clarify or expand on his previous remarks.
It is true that CODEPINK was bird-dogging Hillary Clinton over her vote and support for the Iraq War at this time (and only bird-dogging her) but Joe's mess at that time was being the face of US imperialism announcing that Iraq should be three different government under a federalist system. This was not what Iraqis were calling for at the time and here was this non-Iraqi from a country that started the war now insisting what would be done next.
Beau Biden is another factor. Beau served in Iraq. Chelsea Clinton did not serve in Iraq (though she did support the Iraq War, a reality she tries to lie about today). With a son in Iraq, the hypocrite label was a little harder to hang on Joe.
There's also the fact that no one really thought Joe Biden stood a chance at the nomination. He was gaffe prone. He infamously 'borrowed' from another for a big speech in a previous run. He wasn't seen as a viable candidate by the press.
What's different now?
Sexism will be called out. I'm not just referring to Anita Hill (Parnes covers that). I'm also referring to the media itself. In New Hampshire, speaking publicly, Hillary's eyes well. She does not cry, she does not sob. But Bill Moyers, Jesse Jackson Jr. and countless others mocked her for that, ridiculed her for that, etc. Months later, Joe Biden, then on the ticket as Barack Obama's running mate, starts crying on stage in the middle of a speech. It's not even one day's coverage, let alone the weeks of coverage Hillary endured.
Things have changed and they won't help Joe. Most of all, his Iraq-free card won't exist this time, not after he shamed himself by publicly praising Bully Boy Bush at an awards ceremony last year. Joe's popularity is as an idea. As an actual person? If he runs, his popularity will plummet.
We heard attacks from warmongers in politics/media before. Those opposed to Iraq/Libya/Syria regime change wars are called “dicatator-lovers” or “cozy” with evil regimes. Rather than defend their position, they resort to name-calling & smears. American people wont fall for this.
US House Rep Tulsi Gabbard is running for the 2020 Democratic Party nomination and you know she makes some tremble by the vicious media attacks she's already enduring.
Last Saturday, she officially launched her campaign.
Tulsi Gabbard officially announced her candidacy for President of the United States and kicked off her campaign on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019, in Hawaii. She was introduced by Ryan Soon, a fellow member of the Hawaii National Guard who served with her in Iraq and Kuwait. Tulsi's friends, family, and supporters gathered to hear her vision for the future of our nation. More than 3,500 private and public watch parties across the country were coordinated by grassroots supporters to take part in the live-streamed event. In her remarks, Tulsi Gabbard said, "When we raise our right hand and volunteer to serve, we set aside our own interests—to serve our country and to fight for ALL Americans. We serve as one—indivisible and unbreakable, united by this bond of love for each other and love for our country. It is this principle of putting service above self, that is at the heart of every soldier, every service member. And it is in this spirit that today I announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America.
"I will bring a soldier's values and principles to the White House—restoring the values of dignity, honor, and respect to the presidency. And above all, love for our people and love of country. I ask you to join me, in this spirit of putting service before self, to stand up against the forces of greed and corruption."
Possibly some of the press attacks stem from the press fear that Tulsi will bring Iraq into the conversation. Parnes, for example, is convinced that Iraq's not an issue in 2020.
A foreign policy that works for all Americans must also be driven by honest assessments of the full costs and risks associated with going to war. All three of my brothers served in the military, and I know our service members and their families are smart, tough, and resourceful. But having a strong military doesn’t mean we need to constantly use it. An effective deterrent also means showing the good judgment to exercise appropriate restraint.
Over the past two decades, the United States has been mired in a series of wars that have sapped its strength. The human cost of these wars has been staggering: more than 6,900 killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, another 52,000 wounded, and many more who live every day with the invisible scars of war. By financing these conflicts while cutting taxes, the country has essentially charged the costs of war to a collective credit card for future generations to pay, diverting money that could have been invested in critical domestic priorities. This burden will create a drag on the economy that will last for generations.
The costs have been extraordinarily high, but these wars have not succeeded even on their own terms. We’ve “turned the corner” in Afghanistan so many times that it seems we’re now going in circles. After years of constant war, Afghanistan hardly resembles a functioning state, and both poppy production and the Taliban are again on the rise. The invasion of Iraq destabilized and fragmented the Middle East, creating enormous suffering and precipitating the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. The region remains a tangled mess—the promise of the Arab Spring crushed, Iran emboldened, Syria devastated, the Islamic State (or ISIS) and its offshoots stubbornly resilient, and a massive refugee crisis threatening to destabilize Europe. Neither military nor civilian policymakers seem capable of defining success, but surely this is not it.
A singular focus on counterterrorism, meanwhile, has dangerously distorted U.S. policies. Here at home, we have allowed an imperial presidency to stretch the Constitution beyond recognition to justify the use of force, with little oversight from Congress. The government has at times defended tactics, such as torture, that are antithetical to American values. Washington has partnered with countries that share neither its goals nor its ideals. Counterterrorism efforts have often undermined other foreign policy priorities, such as reinforcing civilian governance, the rule of law, and human rights abroad. And in some cases, as with U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s proxy war in Yemen, U.S. policies risk generating even more extremism.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have seen up close how 17 years of conflict have degraded equipment, sapped forces’ readiness, and forced the postponement of investment in critical military capabilities. It has distracted Washington from growing dangers in other parts of the world: a long-term struggle for power in Asia, a revanchist Russia that threatens Europe, and looming unrest in the Western Hemisphere, including a collapsing state in Venezuela that threatens to disrupt its neighbors. Would-be rivals, for their part, have watched and learned, and they are hard at work developing technologies and tactics to leapfrog the United States, investing heavily in such areas as robotics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and quantum computing. China is making massive bets in these and other areas in an effort to surpass the United States as a global technological power. Whether the United States will maintain its edge and harness these technologies for good remains an open question.
It is the job of the U.S. government to do what is necessary to protect Americans, but it is long past time to start asking what truly makes the country safer—and what does not. Military efforts alone will never fully succeed at ending terrorism, because it is not possible to fight one’s way out of extremism. Some challenges, such as cyberattacks and nuclear proliferation, require much more than a strong military to combat. And other dangers, such as climate change and the spread of infectious diseases, cannot be solved through military action at all. The United States will spend more than $700 billion on defense in the 2018–19 fiscal year alone. That is more in real terms than was spent under President Ronald Reagan during the Cold War and more than all the rest of the country’s discretionary budget put together. But even as Washington spends more and more, U.S. military leaders point out that funding a muscular military without robust diplomacy, economic statecraft, support for civil society, and development assistance only hamstrings American national power and undercuts any military gains.
As a candidate, Trump promised to bring U.S. troops home. As president, he has sent more troops into Afghanistan. On the campaign trail, Trump claimed he did not want to police the world. As president, he has expanded the United States’ military footprint around the globe, from doubling the number of U.S. air strikes in Somalia to establishing a drone base in Niger. As a candidate, Trump promised to rebuild the military, but as president, he has gutted the diplomatic corps on which the Pentagon relies. He promised to reduce the threat of nuclear proliferation, but he has undermined a successful nuclear deal with Iran, has failed to roll back the North Korean nuclear program, and seems intent on spurring a new nuclear arms race with Russia.
These actions do not make Americans safer. It’s time to seriously review the country’s military commitments overseas, and that includes bringing U.S. troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq. They have fought with honor, but additional American blood spilled will not halt the violence or result in a functioning democratic government in either place.
We've noted that several times before. We've also noted that foreign policy will be an issue in the 2020 election. How much of an issue, I don't know. Even I was shocked by (see Wednesday's snapshot) the "CBS NEWS poll showed that the most pressing topic on the mind of Americans was foreign policy and national security. Respondents ranked that the number one issue (93%) with jobs and economy second (92%) and healthcare third (80%)."
So sad, so tragic. The well-known and award-winning Iraqi novelist AlaaMashthob Abboud was shot dead on 2 February. We strongly condemn this henious assasination. @pen_int
#Iraqi activist and novelist, AlaaMashthob, assassinated in Karbala
SEOUL, Korea, Republic of — One North Korean defector in Seoul describes her family back home quietly singing Christian hymns every Sunday while someone stood watch for informers. A second cowered under a blanket or in the toilet when praying in the...
President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. diplomats had a “very productive meeting” with North Korean officials, and he announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be held in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi. Tamara Lindstrom reports.
WASHINGTON – As President Donald Trump prepares to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for a second time, he’s out to replicate the suspenseful buildup, make-or-break stakes and far-flung rendezvous of their first encounter. The reality star American president will soon learn if the sequel, on this matter and many others, can compete with the original.
In his third year in office, Trump is starting to air some reruns.
Trump is headed into fresh negotiations with North Korea, is still pushing for his long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall and is considering a new round of tax cuts. The focus on his greatest hits in part reflects Trump’s desire to fulfill campaign promises and energize voters for his 2020 re-election campaign. But it’s not without risks.
“The danger is the public starts recognizing this is Groundhog Day,” said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. “You keep thinking there is a win and there is no win. It’s not clear Trump is scoring durable history points.”
With his reality TV background and instinctive sense of how to control a news cycle, Trump has long micromanaged the staging of his image, eager to project power and drama.
Those instincts were on full display during the recent scrap over his second State of the Union address. Trump rejected his aides’ suggestions that he deliver the address from an alternate site after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., withdrew her invitation for him speak at the Capitol during the government shutdown. Trump opted to wait for the real deal.
“There is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber,” he tweeted.
In his dealings with North Korea, both past and future, Trump has been intent on ginning up excitement.
After months of trading escalating nuclear threats with the North, Trump memorably popped his head into the White House briefing room last March to hint at big news to come. Not long afterward, officials announced that a Trump-Kim meeting was in the offing.
From there, Trump teased dates and locations, threatened to cancel it – and did so at one point – before signing off on the plan for the historic meeting in Singapore last June.
Trump was delighted that the first summit received round-the-clock cable TV coverage for days, something he had hoped to repeat last summer when he met with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, according to two Republicans close to the White House not authorized to speak publicly about private matters. But Trump saw the Putin coverage take a negative turn after he refused to side with U.S. intelligence agencies over the Russian president in a post-summit news conference.
This time, Trump has again tried to draw out the suspense, teasing the possibility of another meeting with Kim for months and waxing poetic about his relationship with the authoritarian leader. But Trump has glossed over the fact that the first meeting produced little in the way of tangible results toward denuclearization, instead stressing that North Korea’s threats have fallen off and suggesting there is an opportunity for further progress.
Aides counseled the president that a second summit would probably not carry the same drama as the first, and needed more concrete results, but Trump urged them to push forward before deciding to announce it during this past week’s State of the Union address. He insisted to advisers that the Vietnam summit would still be must-see TV, and told one confidant that the idea of “good vs. evil” would be irresistible.
Brinkley noted there is precedent for requiring more than one summit to make a deal, citing the repeated arms control meetings between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. But he argued that those were a better investment, given that “Russia is a great power” while “North Korea is a rogue actor.”
As for other White House sequels, Trump would be happy to produce Tax Cut 2.0. He oversaw a massive tax cut at the end of 2017 and teased the possibility of another in the runup to the 2018 midterm elections. Economic adviser Larry Kudlow pushed back on the suggestion that it was simply a pre-election ploy as he spoke to reporters at the White House this past week.
“We’re kicking it around,” said Kudlow. “We’re looking at a couple of very interesting things that may wind up surprising folks.”
You can also count on Trump to continue the tough immigration rhetoric that defined his campaign and became a central part of his midterm election push. He forced the government into a 35-day partial shutdown over his demand to fund a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and views his immigration efforts as key to his re-election campaign.
Brinkley said of Trump’s repeat performances: “He’s a child of the 1970s with boxing matches. It’s like the rematch with Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.”
As U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for a second time, he’s out to replicate the suspenseful buildup, make-or-break ...
(MENAFN - Daily Outlook Afghanistan) WASHINGTON - President Trump is looking forward to this month's summit with Kim Jong Un, saying Friday that he sees the potential of an 'Econom...
Trump’s Year 3 aims for dramatic sequels to rival originals WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump prepares to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for a second time, he’s out to replicate the suspenseful buildup, make-or-break stakes and far-flung rendezvous of their first encounter. The reality star American president will soon learn if the […]
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet for a second much-anticipated summit in Hanoi on February 27 and 28, as preparations kick into high gear for the peace talks. The US State Department said the special US envoy for North Korea will meet again with Pyongyang officials ahead of the Trump-Kim talks.
US President Donald Trump says North Korea will someday become "a great Economic Powerhouse" under leader Kim Jong-un, heaping praise on the dictator while announcing the location of the pair's next summit.
Officials signed a short-term agreement Sunday to boost South Korea’s contribution toward the upkeep of U.S. troops on the peninsula, after a previous deal lapsed amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for the South to pay more.
The new deal must still be approved by South Korea’s parliament, but it would boost its contribution to 1.03 trillion won ($890 million) from 960 billion won in 2018.
Unlike past agreements, which lasted for five years, this one is scheduled to expire in a year, potentially forcing both sides back to the bargaining table within months.
“It has been a very long process, but ultimately a very successful process,” South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told reporters before another official from the foreign ministry initialed the agreement.
Domestic criticism
While acknowledging lingering domestic criticism of the new deal and the need for parliamentary approval, Kang said the response had “been positive so far.”
U.S. State Department senior adviser for security negotiations and agreements, Timothy Betts, met Kang before signing the agreement on behalf of the United States, and told reporters the money represented a small but important part of South Korea’s support for the alliance.
“The United States government realizes that South Korea does a lot for our alliance and for peace and stability in this region,” he said.
28,500 US troops
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea, where the United States has maintained a military presence since the 1950-53 Korean War.
The allies had struggled to reach a breakthrough despite 10 rounds of talks since March, amid Trump’s repeated calls for a sharp increase in South Korea’s contribution.
South Korean officials have said they had sought to limit its burden to $1 trillion won and make the accord valid for at least three years.
A senior South Korean ruling party legislator said last month that negotiations were deadlocked after the United States made a “sudden, unacceptable” demand that Seoul pay more than 1.4 trillion won per year.
But both sides worked to reach a deal to minimize the impact of the lapse on South Korean workers on U.S. military bases, and focus on nuclear talks ahead of a second U.S.-North Korea summit, Seoul officials said.
The disagreement had raised the prospect that Trump could decide to withdraw at least some troops from South Korea, as he has in other countries like Syria. But on Sunday, South Korean officials told Yonhap news agency that the United States had affirmed it would not be changing its troop presence.
Trump said in his annual State of the Union address to Congress he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Feb. 27-28 in Vietnam, following their unprecedented meeting in June in Singapore.
Military exercises suspended
After the June summit, Trump announced a halt to joint military exercises with South Korea, saying they were expensive and paid for mostly by the United States.
Major joint exercises have been suspended, but some small-scale drills have continued, earning rebukes from North Korea’s state media in recent months.
About 70 percent of South Korea’s contribution covers the salaries of some 8,700 South Korean employees who provide administrative, technical and other services for the U.S. military.
Late last year, the U.S. military warned Korean workers on its bases they might be put on leave from mid-April if no deal was agreed.
The United States and North Korea will hold further talks next week to prepare for a second summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un later this month, Seoul said Sunday. The news comes a day after Stephen Biegun, the US Special Representative for North Korea, said more dialogue was needed ahead of the summit scheduled in Vietnam. "North Korea and the US have agreed to continue negotiations in a third country in Asia during the week of February 17," Seoul's presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters.
Seoul said Sunday it agreed to hike its payment for maintaining American troops on its soil, settling a dispute with its longtime ally ahead of a second summit between the US and North Korea.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. diplomats had a “very productive meeting” with North Korean officials, and he announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be held in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi. Read more at: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2019/02/09/us-north-korea-envoy-plans-more-talks-with-counterpart-ahead-of-trumpkim-summit/
The Pope is busy spreading "mercy" around, meaning winking at sociopaths and ignoring their victims. But in this long analysis of Duterte's war on drugs StrategyPage notes this:
The Filipino corruption score has not changed much since 2012 when it was 34. There is still a lot of corruption in the Philippines but it is no longer “acceptable” (as in “everyone does it”).
A cultural change that means one is ashamed of being corrupt? Who wudda thot? the corrupt here use the law to delay delay and delay justice, bribe the courts and cops, and of course, cause the witnesses to "disappear". Which is why Filipinos support the "vigilante tactics" that go against "rule of law":
Duterte used vigilante tactics to reduce the ability of drug gangs to terrorize the areas where they operated and openly bribe police and other officials. This is what most Filipinos disliked most about the illegal drugs, in addition to children or kin turning themselves into anti-social addicts. After three years most Filipinos still rate Duterte as effective and able to deliver on campaign promises.
Making corruption unacceptable is being helped by a rarely reported cultural change: the increased number and influence of the growing number of middle class Evangelicals here (in contrast, the Bishops hang out with corrupt politicians, condemn the "drug war" and preach sweetness and light/liberation theology, not morality, and Tagle is running for Pope so no one expects them to change). Whether or not the cultural change against corruption will succeed depends on the grass roots, since our presidents have only 6 years in office and can't run again. Cultures can change: just look at America, where NY state is cheering baby killing and the MSM lauds sexual immorality without pointing out the full details of who is being hurt. But eventually the evil loses it's grip: as the African proverb says: even a small snake has a tooth. This is the reason the #me too, Hollywood predators and the Catholic bishops hypocrites were wondering what hit them when their victims found a voice. Ah, but who will defend the unwanted if the church is too busy making nice to politicians to condemn them? Cultures can also change for the better, but it has to be a grass roots change, or else you get tyranny where the corrupt take over and steal everything in sight and justify it by saying it is for the poor: as in Venezuela. Speaking of Venezuela: You know, another underreported story is how Colombia pretty well turned their country around: Grass roots demonstrations against FARC and drug cartel violence was the turning point. But I could see the change starting years ago: when I adopted my sons, I had to bribe the officials to get their paper work done. Four years later, in the early 1990s, we visited their town again, and we needed to get some papers, and the official turned down my bribe. She pointed out to the demonstrations in the street that were going on, and told me that the demonstrations were not about more pay (which is what I assumed) but about more pay so that they didn't need to take bribes, and also enforcing the law against taking bribes. It took 20 years, and the place is still corrupt, but it is now one of the most prosperous countries in South America. One is hoping that the Philippines will turn their culture around and become more prosperous so our people don't have to migrate to Saudi etc. to find jobs to support their families. By the way, StrategyPage has a long essay on corruption here, with a lot of information on the fight against corruption in China. alas, Xi (remembering various religiously inspired civil wars in the 1800s) is again turning to his communist roots to destroy religions that put God ahead of the state, even though religion could be a front line help to fight corruption. as one business article puts it:
We also find that these steps are most effective in countries with a free and plural press, an independent judiciary, and a potential for collective action (such as a community that can be appealed to or organized, such as a religious community, a civic organization, or a trade association). When these conditions are in place, it will be easier for an organization to take a firm stance against corruption, especially political corruption.
Finally the SP essay has a disturbing paragraph on the nexus of North Koreans, Koreans in China, and local Christian churches.
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — South Korea says the United States and North Korea will meet again this month in an unidentified Asian country ahead of their leaders’ planned second summit in Vietnam in late February. The U.S. special representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, visited Pyongyang last week to work out details of the […]
President Donald Trump announced Friday that his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will take place in Hanoi, ending weeks of speculation over the venue for the two leaders' second meeting.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The United States and North Korea will meet again this month in an unidentified Asian country ahead of their leaders' planned...
The United States and North Korea will hold further talks next week to prepare for a second summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un later this...
Trump's Year 3 aims for dramatic sequels to rival originalsWASHINGTON (AP) - As President Donald Trump prepares to meet North Korea's Kim Jong Un for a...
South Korea says the United States and North Korea will meet again this month in an unidentified Asian country before their leaders' planned second summit in Vietnam in late February
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States and North Korea will meet again this month in an unidentified Asian country ahead of their leaders’ planned second summit in Vietnam in late February, South Korean officials said Sunday. The U.S. special representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, visited Pyongyang last week to work out details […]
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — The United States and North Korea will meet again this month in an unidentified Asian country ahead of their leaders’ planned second summit in Vietnam in late February, South Korean officials said Sunday. The U.S. special representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, visited Pyongyang last week to work out details […]
The U.S. special envoy for North Korea concluded three days of nuclear-disarmament talks in Pyongyang ahead of the second summit between Trump and Kim, expressing confidence that progress was possible.
After the heat of the trade deals and North Korea ever closer to the possibility of complete cooperation with the US, President of the CCP, Xi Jinping, launches his attack on Taiwan as of 1:30 AM on 2/9/2019 so far US and Taiwanese troops have been engaging increasing hostile forces advancing onto Taiwanese soil. With the sudden attack on Taiwan, the US, Uk, Australia, and Japan have sent troops on the defensive and current talks with Russia as to negotiate with China is underway. Threats of nuclear war has never been felt so real since the Cold War.
News article:
https://www.latlmes.com/breaking/china-d eclares-war-with-the-us-after-invading-t aiwan-1
North Korea will celebrate the founding anniversary of its armed forces on Friday. But unlike in 2018, a military parade will not be part of the celebrations this ...
South Korea said on Sunday (Feb 10) it has agreed to hike its payment for maintaining American troops on its soil, settling a dispute with its longtime ally ahead of a second summit between the US and North Korea.
"I have no idea why in the world we are meeting N. Korea in Vietnam"
Because North Korea does not possess planes that can make longer journeys without refueling (due to embargo of North Korea). At least that's what they said.
SEOUL: The United States and North Korea will hold further talks next week to prepare for a second summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un later this month, Seoul said Sunday.
The United States and North Korea will hold further talks next week to prepare for a second summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un later this month, Seoul said Sunday.
The United States and North Korea will hold further talks next week to prepare for a second summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un later this month, Seoul said Sunday.
SEOUL, South Korea - The United States and North Korea will meet again this month in an unidentified Asian country ahead of their leaders' planned second summit in Vietnam in...
**A New York Times Bestseller** Former Special Forces Officer and New York Times bestselling author Brad Taylor delivers a heart-pounding thriller featuring Taskforce operators Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill as they come face to face with a conspiracy where nothing is as it seems. Hot on the trail of a North Korean looking to sell sensitive US intelligence to the Syrian regime, Pike Logan and the Taskforce stumble upon something much graver: the sale of a lethal substance called Red Mercury. Unb
WWIII
Does Washington Rule The World?
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-02-09/does-washington-rule-world
Trump's Vow To Stay In Iraq "To Watch Iran" Has Unleashed A Political Storm In Baghdad
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-02-08/trumps-vow-stay-iraq-watch-iran-has-unleashed-political-storm-baghdad
Trump Says "North Korea Will Become A Different Kind Of Rocket - An Economic One" If Talks Succeed
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-02-09/trump-says-north-korea-will-become-different-kind-rocket-economic-one-if-talks
<i>Last headline also on Daniel Estulin's point on the merging of North and South Korea</i>
Daniel Estulin: New Global Order as U.S. Takes Venezuela, China Gets North Korea
Feb 9, 2019 Geopolitics & Empire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyAjTesO9ZM
[South Korea], Feb 10 (ANI): The United States and North Korea will be holding the second round of pre-summit talks next week in a third Asian nation, South Korea announced on Sunday.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in will be holding discussions with his US counterpart Donald Trump over the latter's impending meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Vietnam on February 27 and 28. The talks are expected to take place over the phone, Yonhap News Agency has reported.
"We are going to announce details as soon as preparations are complete," Seoul's Presidential spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom has been quoted by the news agency, as mentioning.
The second round of discussions over Vietnam meeting, however, comes after the US special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, visited Pyongyang recently. He held the first round of discussions with his North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok-chol during his three-day visit to North Korea, which concluded on Friday.
"I heard Representative Biegun received a warm welcome in Pyongyang," the South Korean official stated.
"I heard that the North-US talks this time were a useful opportunity where the North and the US talked openly and fully about their specific positions on what they want in a very detailed manner," Eui-kyeom put forth.
The second US-North Korea summit is seen as a breakthrough amid the prevailing impasse between Pyongyang and Washington over sanctions, which led to impeded growth in denuclearisation efforts in the Korean peninsula.
The recent talks held regarding preparations for the second landmark summit have been hailed by Biegun himself, who labelled his Pyongyang meetings as "productive."(ANI)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea and the United States struck a new deal Sunday that increases Seoul’s contribution for the cost of the American military presence on its soil, overcoming previous failed negotiations that caused worries about their decades-long alliance.
South Korea last year provided about $830 million, covering roughly 40 percent of the cost of the deployment of 28,500 U.S. soldiers whose presence is meant to deter aggression from North Korea.
Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: In his State of the Union speech this week, President Trump announced a second North Korea summit. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Much work remains to be done, but my relationship with Kim Jong Un is a good one. Chairman Kim and I will meet again on February 27th and 28th in Vietnam. GREENE: All right. The date, the place all set of - these two leaders, of course, met for the first time last summer in Singapore. That's where they signed a broad statement that called for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. So what has happened since then, and what could come next out of this meeting in Vietnam? To talk about that, we're turning to Joel Wit. He's a former State Department official who led the first American nuclear inspection in North Korea in 1999. He's in our studios in Washington. Welcome back. JOEL WIT: Good morning. GREENE: So I want to turn back to the first summit before we talk about the
SEOUL — The two former top U.S. negotiators in talks that melted down with North Korea the last time around — back in 2009 — have some sobering advice for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of his second summit with President Trump: Don't blow this special chance, stop foot-dragging ...
CNN's Kate Bolduan looks at the divide between President Trump and leaders in the US intelligence community when it comes to ISIS, Russia and North Korea.
Trump announces that he and Kim Jong Un will meet in Hanoi, Vietnam CNN Top US envoy returns to South Korea after North Korea visit Fox News Trump touts Kim summit: North Korea will become...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said on Friday that US diplomats held a “very productive meeting” with North Korean officials, and announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be held in Vietnam’s...
(AP) — As President Donald Trump prepares to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for a second time, he’s out to replicate the suspenseful buildup, make-or-break stakes and far-flung rendezvous of their first encounter. The reality star American president will soon learn if the sequel, on this matter and many others, can compete with the original. In his third year in office, Trump is starting to air some reruns. Trump is headed into fresh negotiations with North Korea, is still pushing for his long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall and is considering a new round of tax cuts. The focus on his […]
President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. diplomats had a “very productive meeting” with North Korean officials, and he announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be held in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi.
DISGRACED FORMER EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK TIMES JILL ABRAMSON IS NEWLY DISGRACED AS A RESULT OF PLAGIARIZING THROUGHOUT HER NEW BOOK 'MERCHANTS OF TRUTH.' ATTEMPTING TO DIG HERSELF OUT OF HER HOLE, JILL IS INSISTING THAT SHE DIDN'T PLAGIARIZE, SHE JUST HAD A "CITATION ERROR."
Former Vice President Joe Biden's words and policy positions on the Iraq War could come back to haunt him if he enters the race for the White House. Biden is popular with Democrats, polls show he leads most of his competitors in the 2020 field and a survey this week found more than 60 percent want him in the race. He routinely leads polls of Democrats asked to pick their favored presidential candidate. But his words on Iraq from nearly two decades ago sound out-of-step with the increasingly left-leaning party he would be seeking to lead. Biden backed the resolution giving President George W. Bush the authority to invade Iraq, and he also praised the president in a Senate floor speech at the time for his handling of the case for war.
Joe did not have the problems that Hillary Clinton or John Edwards had when it came to Iraq. As the late Elizabeth Edwards noted, John Edwards came clean on Iraq and apologized for it but Hillary refused to take accountability for her support for the Iraq War (saying she was tricked by Bully Boy Bush is not taking accountability, it is saying "I"m so stupid even an idiot can fool me").
Parnes notes 2008 in one sentence but never addresses why it wasn't an issue for Joe when he last attempted to be the Democratic Party nominee.
There are several reasons. First among them, the Iraq War wasn't his focus, he was focused on partitioning Iraq or creating a federalist system. He repeatedly denied this was partitioning Iraq. Many Iraqis disagreed. During his brief 2007 and January 2008 campaign for the nomination, he was repeatedly on the defense about this issue. Seeking votes in Iowa in the last stages of his campaign, he was still having to face the issue and clarify or expand on his previous remarks.
It is true that CODEPINK was bird-dogging Hillary Clinton over her vote and support for the Iraq War at this time (and only bird-dogging her) but Joe's mess at that time was being the face of US imperialism announcing that Iraq should be three different government under a federalist system. This was not what Iraqis were calling for at the time and here was this non-Iraqi from a country that started the war now insisting what would be done next.
Beau Biden is another factor. Beau served in Iraq. Chelsea Clinton did not serve in Iraq (though she did support the Iraq War, a reality she tries to lie about today). With a son in Iraq, the hypocrite label was a little harder to hang on Joe.
There's also the fact that no one really thought Joe Biden stood a chance at the nomination. He was gaffe prone. He infamously 'borrowed' from another for a big speech in a previous run. He wasn't seen as a viable candidate by the press.
What's different now?
Sexism will be called out. I'm not just referring to Anita Hill (Parnes covers that). I'm also referring to the media itself. In New Hampshire, speaking publicly, Hillary's eyes well. She does not cry, she does not sob. But Bill Moyers, Jesse Jackson Jr. and countless others mocked her for that, ridiculed her for that, etc. Months later, Joe Biden, then on the ticket as Barack Obama's running mate, starts crying on stage in the middle of a speech. It's not even one day's coverage, let alone the weeks of coverage Hillary endured.
Things have changed and they won't help Joe. Most of all, his Iraq-free card won't exist this time, not after he shamed himself by publicly praising Bully Boy Bush at an awards ceremony last year. Joe's popularity is as an idea. As an actual person? If he runs, his popularity will plummet.
We heard attacks from warmongers in politics/media before. Those opposed to Iraq/Libya/Syria regime change wars are called “dicatator-lovers” or “cozy” with evil regimes. Rather than defend their position, they resort to name-calling & smears. American people wont fall for this.
US House Rep Tulsi Gabbard is running for the 2020 Democratic Party nomination and you know she makes some tremble by the vicious media attacks she's already enduring.
Last Saturday, she officially launched her campaign.
Tulsi Gabbard officially announced her candidacy for President of the United States and kicked off her campaign on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019, in Hawaii. She was introduced by Ryan Soon, a fellow member of the Hawaii National Guard who served with her in Iraq and Kuwait. Tulsi's friends, family, and supporters gathered to hear her vision for the future of our nation. More than 3,500 private and public watch parties across the country were coordinated by grassroots supporters to take part in the live-streamed event. In her remarks, Tulsi Gabbard said, "When we raise our right hand and volunteer to serve, we set aside our own interests—to serve our country and to fight for ALL Americans. We serve as one—indivisible and unbreakable, united by this bond of love for each other and love for our country. It is this principle of putting service above self, that is at the heart of every soldier, every service member. And it is in this spirit that today I announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America.
"I will bring a soldier's values and principles to the White House—restoring the values of dignity, honor, and respect to the presidency. And above all, love for our people and love of country. I ask you to join me, in this spirit of putting service before self, to stand up against the forces of greed and corruption."
Possibly some of the press attacks stem from the press fear that Tulsi will bring Iraq into the conversation. Parnes, for example, is convinced that Iraq's not an issue in 2020.
A foreign policy that works for all Americans must also be driven by honest assessments of the full costs and risks associated with going to war. All three of my brothers served in the military, and I know our service members and their families are smart, tough, and resourceful. But having a strong military doesn’t mean we need to constantly use it. An effective deterrent also means showing the good judgment to exercise appropriate restraint.
Over the past two decades, the United States has been mired in a series of wars that have sapped its strength. The human cost of these wars has been staggering: more than 6,900 killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, another 52,000 wounded, and many more who live every day with the invisible scars of war. By financing these conflicts while cutting taxes, the country has essentially charged the costs of war to a collective credit card for future generations to pay, diverting money that could have been invested in critical domestic priorities. This burden will create a drag on the economy that will last for generations.
The costs have been extraordinarily high, but these wars have not succeeded even on their own terms. We’ve “turned the corner” in Afghanistan so many times that it seems we’re now going in circles. After years of constant war, Afghanistan hardly resembles a functioning state, and both poppy production and the Taliban are again on the rise. The invasion of Iraq destabilized and fragmented the Middle East, creating enormous suffering and precipitating the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. The region remains a tangled mess—the promise of the Arab Spring crushed, Iran emboldened, Syria devastated, the Islamic State (or ISIS) and its offshoots stubbornly resilient, and a massive refugee crisis threatening to destabilize Europe. Neither military nor civilian policymakers seem capable of defining success, but surely this is not it.
A singular focus on counterterrorism, meanwhile, has dangerously distorted U.S. policies. Here at home, we have allowed an imperial presidency to stretch the Constitution beyond recognition to justify the use of force, with little oversight from Congress. The government has at times defended tactics, such as torture, that are antithetical to American values. Washington has partnered with countries that share neither its goals nor its ideals. Counterterrorism efforts have often undermined other foreign policy priorities, such as reinforcing civilian governance, the rule of law, and human rights abroad. And in some cases, as with U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s proxy war in Yemen, U.S. policies risk generating even more extremism.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have seen up close how 17 years of conflict have degraded equipment, sapped forces’ readiness, and forced the postponement of investment in critical military capabilities. It has distracted Washington from growing dangers in other parts of the world: a long-term struggle for power in Asia, a revanchist Russia that threatens Europe, and looming unrest in the Western Hemisphere, including a collapsing state in Venezuela that threatens to disrupt its neighbors. Would-be rivals, for their part, have watched and learned, and they are hard at work developing technologies and tactics to leapfrog the United States, investing heavily in such areas as robotics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and quantum computing. China is making massive bets in these and other areas in an effort to surpass the United States as a global technological power. Whether the United States will maintain its edge and harness these technologies for good remains an open question.
It is the job of the U.S. government to do what is necessary to protect Americans, but it is long past time to start asking what truly makes the country safer—and what does not. Military efforts alone will never fully succeed at ending terrorism, because it is not possible to fight one’s way out of extremism. Some challenges, such as cyberattacks and nuclear proliferation, require much more than a strong military to combat. And other dangers, such as climate change and the spread of infectious diseases, cannot be solved through military action at all. The United States will spend more than $700 billion on defense in the 2018–19 fiscal year alone. That is more in real terms than was spent under President Ronald Reagan during the Cold War and more than all the rest of the country’s discretionary budget put together. But even as Washington spends more and more, U.S. military leaders point out that funding a muscular military without robust diplomacy, economic statecraft, support for civil society, and development assistance only hamstrings American national power and undercuts any military gains.
As a candidate, Trump promised to bring U.S. troops home. As president, he has sent more troops into Afghanistan. On the campaign trail, Trump claimed he did not want to police the world. As president, he has expanded the United States’ military footprint around the globe, from doubling the number of U.S. air strikes in Somalia to establishing a drone base in Niger. As a candidate, Trump promised to rebuild the military, but as president, he has gutted the diplomatic corps on which the Pentagon relies. He promised to reduce the threat of nuclear proliferation, but he has undermined a successful nuclear deal with Iran, has failed to roll back the North Korean nuclear program, and seems intent on spurring a new nuclear arms race with Russia.
These actions do not make Americans safer. It’s time to seriously review the country’s military commitments overseas, and that includes bringing U.S. troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq. They have fought with honor, but additional American blood spilled will not halt the violence or result in a functioning democratic government in either place.
We've noted that several times before. We've also noted that foreign policy will be an issue in the 2020 election. How much of an issue, I don't know. Even I was shocked by (see Wednesday's snapshot) the "CBS NEWS poll showed that the most pressing topic on the mind of Americans was foreign policy and national security. Respondents ranked that the number one issue (93%) with jobs and economy second (92%) and healthcare third (80%)."
South Korea and the United States struck a new deal Sunday on how much Seoul should pay for the U.S. military presence on its soil, official said, after previous rounds of failed negotiations caused worries about their decades-long alliance. Last year, South Korea provided about $830 million, roughly 40 percent of the cost of the deployment of 28,500 U.S. soldiers whose presence is meant to deter aggression from North Korea. President Donald Trump has said South Korea should pay more. […]
Senators are greeting President Trump’s upcoming second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with low expectations following months of floundering diplomacy with Pyongyang.“High hopes, but no particular expectations,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah...
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) recommended that the Japanese government revise its “unfair” exclusion of Chosen Gakko (pro-North Korean schools) from free high school education stat..
As of Feb. 10, it will have been three years since the South Korean government, under former president Park Geun-hye, closed the Kaesong Industrial Complex in response to North Korea’s nuclear weapon ..
US President Donald Trump will meet the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, this month in Hanoi, Vietnam, choosing the capital of a communist nation for a summit intended to eliminate a potential nuclear threat. “My representatives have just left...
When President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet in Vietnam on February 27-28 for a second round of nuclear talks, the world spotlight will shine on a country that has come a long way from the Vietnam War. The communist-led Southeast Asian...
Mar 25-28, 2018 Kim Jong-un makes official state visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. First trip outside of North Korea since taking power in 2011 Apr 27 Kim becomes first North Korean leader to enter South when he meets South...
President Donald Trump said on Friday that US diplomats had a “very productive meeting” with North Korean officials, and he announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would be held in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi. “My...
WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump prepares to meet North Korea's Kim Jong Un for a second time, he's out to replicate the suspenseful buildup, make-or-break stakes and far-flung rendezvous of their first encounter.
NORTH Korea will become “a great economic powerhouse” under dictator Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump stated last night. Ahead of their second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27, the US president tweeted: “He may surprise some but he won’t surprise me,...
The Wende Museum presents Crumbling Empire and Upside-Down Propaganda, two new exhibitions featuring subversive art by Soviet painters, Shepard Fairey, Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid, and North Korean defector Sun Mu on view February 10 to June 2, 2019. Even the most restrictive authoritarian regimes are unable to completely silence voices of dissent. Two new exhibitions at the Wende Museum explore the role of art in grassroots and subversive expression, from the Soviet Union to North Korea to the United States. Across borders and generations, American street artist Shepard Fairey, Soviet artists of the glasnost and perestroika era, and North Korean propaganda-poster artist turned dissident painter Sun Mu appropriate and reinterpret the aesthetics and symbols of authority to create messages of liberation. This
The United States and North Korea will meet again this month in an unidentified Asian country ahead of their leaders' planned second summit in Vietnam in late February, South Korean officials said Sunday.
Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: In his State of the Union speech this week, President Trump announced a second North Korea summit. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Much work remains to be done, but my relationship with Kim Jong Un is a good one. Chairman Kim and I will meet again on February 27th and 28th in Vietnam. GREENE: All right. The date, the place all set of - these two leaders, of course, met for the first time last summer in Singapore. That's where they signed a broad statement that called for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. So what has happened since then, and what could come next out of this meeting in Vietnam? To talk about that, we're turning to Joel Wit. He's a former State Department official who led the first American nuclear inspection in North Korea in 1999. He's in our studios in Washington. Welcome back. JOEL WIT: Good morning. GREENE: So I want to turn back to the first summit before we talk about the
The stopgap agreement removes an irritant between the allies ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. diplomats had a “very productive meeting” with North Korean officials, and he announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be held in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi.
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea and the United States struck a new deal Sunday that increases Seoul’s contribution for the cost of the American military presence on its soil, overcoming previous failed negotiations that caused worries about their decades-long alliance. The development comes as President Donald Trump is set to hold his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam in late February. South Korea last year provided about $830 million, covering roughly 40 percent of […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The United States and North Korea will meet again this month in an unidentified Asian country ahead of their leaders' planned second summit in Vietnam in late February, South Korean officials said Sunday.
The U.S. special representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, visited Pyongyang last ...
North Korea reached agreements with both the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations that could have averted that threat, had they been completed.Instead, a group of Bush administration officials led by then-Vice President Dick Cheney sabotaged both agreements, and Pyongyang went on to make rapid strides on both nuclear and missile development, leading ultimately to […]
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet for a second summit in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. Trump also tweeted that he was confident that North Korea would become an 'Economic Powerhouse' under the country's leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea has yet to provide any official confirmation of the summit. The U ...
There is still some hard work to be done ahead of the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Washington’s envoy yesterday said. Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea, said three...
[-30] [-45] [-60] [-90] -Blockade removal ['Scaramucci' model] -[RR] removal [Goodbye #2 [#1 _ oversight of Mueller] -[Ohr] removal -[1-4] removal -Barr install -Barr (w/ Whitaker) review [RR] notes re: strong reservations to DECLAS due to sources & methods + Foreign CLAS (irreparable harm) > OIG review prior to executing order -Barr (w/ Whitaker) pull DECLAS review assignment from OIG [cite: executive order from POTUS does not require special oversight - DOJ/FBI (Wray) fully capable in reviewing and commenting re: OP integrity (sources & methods) etc.] -Barr executes order to DECLAS + provide members of H committee long requested supplemental documentation in C setting [scope memo + CLAS] as required by US Law. -Whitaker remain DOJ senior staff -Barr meeting Huber & OIG -OIG report -House D's threaten subpoena of Barr/Whitaker re: DECLAS, SC report, Huber, etc…. -House D's use subpoena power to ……………………Acts 1, 2, and 3. [spill +30] -Meeting w/ NK > DENUC plan/process > sanctions lift meets subj A, B food for people (aid) UK/AUS narrative shift re: in_country spy campaign v. POTUS (hops 1 to 2; 2 to 3; 3 to 4; 4 to target) -D sky is falling push to public (scare to control)(projection) -Public Awakening -Narrative damage control -Placeholders active -Wall discussion end (public awareness of D's) -Red/Green Castle per orig plan Dark to Light. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2qIXXafxCQ Q
Calling for newborns to be murdered didn’t get Ralph Northam in trouble, but goofing around wearing blackface in his youth is considered so serious that he must undergo reeducation in the full North Korean sense of the term. He may possibly achieve rehabilitation, but only by doubling down on the Cultural Marxism that helped get […]
10 Weird Types Of Diplomacy You Won’t Believe Exist By Oliver Taylor, Listverse, 10 February 2019.
Diplomacy doesn’t always have to be about people wearing suits and laughing with people they don’t like. There are quite a few other ways to engage in diplomatic relations that you may not have expected. In fact, diplomacy doesn’t even need to involve humans.
As we will soon find out, there is more to diplomacy than ambassadors. Selfies, warships, animals, food, sports, roads, bridges, money, and even tweets can be used for diplomacy. Clearly, some of us have been recipients of diplomatic overtures without even realizing it.
10. Panda Diplomacy
China has been using pandas for diplomacy since the days of Chairman Mao Zedong. The idea is to loan a panda to foreign governments in an attempt to foster closer relations. Getting a panda from China does not mean the receiving nation is in China’s good books. It’s just the first step.
Analysts have noticed that lucrative deals have often followed China’s panda loans. In 2011, the Scottish government signed £2.6 billion worth of contracts with China soon after receiving some pandas. Countries like Australia, Canada, and France have also sold uranium to China after receiving pandas.
While the nations keep the pandas in their zoos, China uses the uranium to increase its nuclear capabilities. It’s no surprise that pandas are some of China’s most important diplomats. The Chinese government actually owns all the giant pandas in zoos around the world, even if those pandas weren’t born in China.
9. Gastrodiplomacy
Gastrodiplomacy is the use of food to forge friendlier relationships with other countries. It is widely used in the United States, and countries like South Korea and Thailand train their citizens in cooking their national dishes before sending them to the US. Now you know why Thai and Korean restaurants are popular in the US.
Hilary Clinton attempted to create the US version of gastrodiplomacy while she was secretary of state. She launched a “chef ambassador” corps and had 80 chefs cook for foreign diplomats and leaders.
Interestingly, gastrodiplomacy is not new. It has been used since ancient Rome, when the Romans invited their enemies to buffets. And did we forget to mention it works? In a survey, more than half the respondents said they had more positive views of a country when they ate food from it.
8. Gunboat Diplomacy
Gunboat diplomacy is the carrot-and-stick version of diplomacy. Often, the term refers to the use of warships and gunboats to intimidate a smaller rival until they agree to whatever the country deploying the warship wants. The term can also be used for a more general display of military power.
Several nations, including the US, used gunboat diplomacy in the 19th and 20th centuries. President Theodore Roosevelt often used warships to intimidate the governments of smaller countries like Haiti, Panama, Colombia, and Nicaragua.
In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dumped gunboat diplomacy for less threatening forms of interaction. The US returned to gunboat diplomacy during the Cold War, however, when it threatened several Latin American nations with military action.
7. Debt-Trap Diplomacy
Debt-trap diplomacy is another Chinese tactic. It involves China giving huge loans to poorer nations to build infrastructure. China knows the countries cannot pay the money back, but that’s the idea. Most countries jump on the mouthwatering loans and only realize their true cost when it is time to pay.
In 2011, Tajikistan ceded some land along its border with China after it could not repay its loan. China and Tajikistan had both claimed ownership of the land until Tajikistan finally backed off. In 2017, Sri Lanka leased a key port to China for 99 years as payment for its $1 billion loan.
Countries like Montenegro, Fiji, and Tonga are also having problems repaying their loans to China. Fiji owes $500 million, while Tonga owes $160 million, which is roughly a third of its GDP. In 2018, the Tongan prime minister was so distraught with the Chinese loan that he openly asked other Pacific island nations to reject Chinese loans. A few days later, he retracted his statement without giving reasons.
Several nations caught on to China’s debt-trap diplomacy after China took the Sri Lankan port. Nepal, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, and Malaysia canceled loans they’d planned to receive from China. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia said he rejected a $20 billion loan because he does not want Malaysia to become a Chinese colony.
The only country that did not learn from Sri Lanka’s experience was Sri Lanka. In 2018, it borrowed another $1 billion from China.
Ping-pong diplomacy is another form of diplomacy unique to China. It is even the reason China and the US started talking. In 1949, the communist government of China shut the country from the United States after overthrowing the previous government.
This changed in 1971, when the Chinese ping-pong team invited the US team to tour China after they met at the World Table Tennis Championship in Japan. The US team visited China after the offer was approved by President Nixon.
After the visit, President Nixon sent Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to China to plan a state visit. It was a success, with Nixon visiting China in February 1972. The US government reciprocated the gesture when the Chinese team visited the US in April 1972 to play several matches across the US.
5. Cricket Diplomacy
One of the few things India and Pakistan have in common is their love for cricket. Cricket tournaments between both nations are usually tense because they’re often more than just competitions. It’s everything from politics to national pride. Nevertheless, both nations have been using the game to improve their relations.
India and Pakistan had their first cricket match in 1954, when India invited the Pakistani cricket team for a game. The Pakistanis then reciprocated and invited the Indian team for a match. India and Pakistan met again in 1961 and 1965. Further matches were suspended after a war broke out between both countries.
Matches resumed in 1978, and Pakistan defeated India on Indian soil. Both nations consider a loss an insult. The insult is worsened when the home team is defeated - as happened in 1978. The Pakistani cricket team’s captain added fuel to fire when he said India’s defeat was “the victory of Muslims all over the world over the Hindus.” Meanwhile, India accused the umpire of supporting Pakistan.
India and Pakistan met in India again in February 1987. The match was attended by General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the president of Pakistan, who informed India that Pakistan had nuclear weapons while the match was on. At the time, Pakistan had massed troops at its border in response to a massive military exercise held by India.
4. Stadium Diplomacy
China is the largest investor in Africa. One of its major investment vehicles is what is called stadium diplomacy, the construction of stadiums and sports facilities to curry favors from African governments. In 2010, it was reported that China had already built 50 stadiums in several countries across Africa.
Depending on the circumstances, China could single-handedly finance the stadium or provide a loan for its construction. In exchange, China receives undisclosed favors from the government. It is suspected that these favors include raw materials.
The stadiums are often elaborate and could even be regarded as national monuments. For instance, the 500-million-yuan, 42,000-seat Mozambique National Stadium in Mozambique is the largest built since the country gained independence. Like most of the other stadiums, it is built to FIFA and Olympic standards.
In 2015, China threw a well-timed jab at the US just as President Obama was making a state visit to Kenya. Two days before Obama’s arrival, the Chinese government announced it planned to refurbish the stadium in which Obama was expected to deliver a speech.
According to China, the project was one of the three it would finance for the Kenyan government. All three projects cost $17 million. Besides the obvious jab, the stadium was originally built by China in the 1980s and given as a gift to the Kenyan government.
3. Elephant Diplomacy
Elephant diplomacy is exclusively used by Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government usually gives elephants to other nations as a sign of friendship and to foster improved relations. Elephants are so important to Sri Lankan diplomacy that a top Sri Lankan diplomat mentioned that the island nation only gives elephants to countries it considers friends.
In 2010, Sri Lanka gifted two adult elephants to South Korea. One was male, and the other was female. In 2013, President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave two baby elephants to Japan during a state visit.
Koalas are cute and cuddly. They are also native to Australia, making them the perfect animals for Australian diplomacy. Koalas are so important to Australia’s diplomatic efforts that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a 600-page manual detailing how the countries that receive the koalas should care for them.
When Australia isn’t giving its koalas to friendly nations like Japan and Singapore, it’s displaying them at summits. In 2014, several world leaders, including Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin, were photographed with koalas during the G20 Summit in Australia.
Australia’s koala diplomacy was criticized by the Australian Labor Party in 2016. The Labor Party said that the current government had spent $400,000 on koala photo ops since it came to power. $133,000 was spent to transport four koalas to Singapore. The money included the cost of twice-weekly flights to deliver eucalyptus leaves to the koalas. $24,000 was also spent to deliver koalas to Brisbane, where the 2014 G20 summit was held.
1. Digital Diplomacy
Digital diplomacy has no definite meaning. In a nutshell, it is a catchall term referring to the use of information and communications technology for diplomacy. This could be the Internet, social media, or just digital devices. It could even be actions as simple as taking selfies.
Under diplomatic rules, the government of one country is not allowed to speak with the citizens of another. This has changed with the advent of digital diplomacy. Imagine the North Korean government tweets, a South Korean citizen replies, and the North Korean government replies back. That would be an example of digital diplomacy.
President Donald Trump makes use of digital diplomacy when he tweets on Twitter. Sometimes, foreign governments have replied to his comments on Twitter. At other times, they react to his tweets during television interviews. Foreign governments have also tweeted in response to statements President Trump made during interviews.
President Donald Trump delivered his second State of the Union address on Tuesday, where he re-enforced his immigration agenda, slammed “ridiculous partisan investigations” and announced he would meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for... 
Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. SUBSCRIBE Feb. 9, 2019, 2:44 PM GMT By Linda Givetash President Donald Trump confirmed Friday that a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be held in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on February […]
