Ollie North: Inviting War

[unhappycamper]

Inviting War
By convicted felon Oliver North | June 03, 2010

Sixty years ago this month, the North Korean People's Army, enticed by the Truman administration's announcement that Korea was no longer within the "U.S. defensive perimeter," launched a surprise attack across the 38th parallel -- the arbitrary demarcation line drawn by the United Nations between the Republic of Korea and the communist north -- the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea." The onslaught was so successful that in a matter of just three days, Seoul was captured and the poorly trained and equipped ROK military was smashed. Hundreds of American advisors and hastily deployed reinforcements were killed, captured or listed as missing in action. By mid-July, the remnant of U.S. and ROK forces were driven into a tiny defensive perimeter around the port of Pusan.

Three years, and more than 150,000 American casualties later, an armistice ended the fighting -- but not the war. Ever since, American national security policy has been based on the idea that attacks against the U.S. homeland, our national interests and our allies could be prevented by "containing communism" and maintaining sufficient nuclear and conventional forces to deter aggression. American intelligence capabilities were focused on knowing what our adversaries were up to and sharing that information with our allies. Until Jimmy Carter came along, it was a strategy that generally worked.

Mr. Carter decided -- and Congress agreed -- to gut U.S. defense and intelligence budgets, dramatically reduce the U.S. military presence in the Republic of Korea and replace deterrence with "diplomatic engagement." America's adversaries wasted no time in taking advantage of his perceived naïveté and weakness. Though the U.S. withdrawal from South Korea was stopped thanks to a major political movement launched by World War II hero, Major General Jack Singlaub, other American allies weren't so fortunate.

While Americans here at home were distracted by economic woes that included double-digit inflation and interest rates, Panama, Nicaragua, Iran, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and eventually Afghanistan, all succumbed to "revolutionary" regimes or outright invasion during Mr. Carter's mercifully brief tenure as commander in chief. He used the threat of reduced arms sales and aid for Israel to initiate the novel concept of a "Palestinian homeland" into negotiations for a peace treaty with Egypt.

Though Ronald Reagan restored the idea of "peace through strength" and carried out his promise to confront Soviet expansion, we are still paying the price for the Carter administration's ineptness and misfeasance. The undetected nuclear weapons programs in both North Korea and Iran trace their lineage to Mr. Carter's intelligence cuts. As a consequence, two of America's most steadfast allies -- Israel and the Republic of Korea -- now face the clear and present danger of existential annihilation. Both democracies are literally under the gun -- and getting little but platitudes or worse from the Obama administration.



unhappycamper comment: "Peace Through Strength..." Right out of a George Orwell novel.

[rpannier]

1. Funny...

I live in Korea and people here don't feel there is a clear and present danger of existential annihilation

In fact, there were the provincial and municipal election just two days ago and the conservatives got spanked
So, I guess Ollie doesn't speak for the people of South Korea

[SpiralHawk]

2. Ya gotta wonder if Jolly Ollie (R-Traitor) will give them our US Hawk Missiles?

As he gave our Hawk Missiles to the Evil Doers in Iran so they could kill our US Armed Forces should we ever engage in combat with them?

Whasssup Ollie? Ya gonna give North Korea our weaponry, too?

[Mr Rabble]

3. North is hoping his audience has no memory.

Jack Singlaub? Major figure in Iran/Contra.
You know, THAT Iran/Contra, the one which got North a felony conviction and jail time?

Its also interesting to see the specific choices of countries that North uses as examples. How many of those governments which were overthrown were actually puppet regimes propped up by the US?

The Reagan reference is almost a joke- if it were not so bloody it would be funny.

Remember, in 1986 Reagan was condemned by the World Court for international terrorism (technically, the unlawful use of force) for the attack on Nicaragua.

Luckily for North, his audience will either not know, or not care about any of these facts...

[Scuba]

4. Where did this criminal...

get the idea that Israel is one of our 'steadfast allies'?

Your allies don't attack your ships at sea (USS Liberty attack, 1967) or spy on you (too many times to count).

This traitor belongs in prison.

[shotten99]

5. Looks like Ollie has some selective memory issues

Like how the neo-con thugs supplied the Shah with most of their weaponry and the basis for the nuclear program in the mid 70s while Carter was still gov. of Georgia?

It's impossible to reason with someone like this.