The art of the deal - Trump walks, NoKo wants talks

[Bigdog]

Interesting. Can you link to any reports you've seen, Bigdog?

From Mar. 02

"A Japanese foreign ministry statement said a Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force aircraft spotted a North Korean-flagged tanker alongside the Xin Yuan 18, a Maldivian-flagged tanker, in the East China Sea, 250km east of Shanghai, late on Saturday night. The statement on Tuesday said Japan “strongly suspects that they conducted ship-to-ship transfers banned by UNSCR.”


The Maldives Democratic Party, an opposition political party in Maldives, said in a statement Thursday that the Xin Yuan 18 is registered in the Maldives and that “it is believed that the vessels were exchanging crude oil, in violation of UN sanctions on North Korea.”

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-a...anction-cheats

I'm assuming Xin Yuan is not a Maldivean name.

[blackascoal]

Trump needs this meeting more than North Korea does.

[Legion]

From Mar. 02

"A Japanese foreign ministry statement said a Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force aircraft spotted a North Korean-flagged tanker alongside the Xin Yuan 18, a Maldivian-flagged tanker, in the East China Sea, 250km east of Shanghai, late on Saturday night. The statement on Tuesday said Japan “strongly suspects that they conducted ship-to-ship transfers banned by UNSCR.”

South Korea sending a special envoy to North Korea, Moon tells Trump

The Maldives Democratic Party, an opposition political party in Maldives, said in a statement Thursday that the Xin Yuan 18 is registered in the Maldives and that “it is believed that the vessels were exchanging crude oil, in violation of UN sanctions on North Korea.”

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-a...anction-cheats

I'm assuming Xin Yuan is not a Maldivean name.

Very suspicious, Bigdog. Thanks for confirming.

[Bigdog]

Interesting. Can you link to any reports you've seen, Bigdog?

U.N. Report Faults China, Russia for Subverting North Korea Sanctions
Report details who helps Pyongyang sidestep bans on trade, finance and weapon sales
By Ian Talley
Updated Feb. 2, 2018 6:38 p.m. ET

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-n-rep...ons-1517610153

[Leonthecat]

Trump needs this meeting more than North Korea does.

Kim has his whole life to play his games with the US.
Trump has already run out of time.

[dukkha]

It's a waste of time ... and allows Kim to stall even longer.

The only reason for them to meet, is to sign an, already hashed out, agreement. IMO.

what agreement?
they have to agree on terms. I think it will be step by step ( NK does step by step denukes -sanctions are removed step by step) but i'm just guessing

[Legion]

Kim has his whole life to play his games with the US.

Kim may not be around much longer, Brother.

[USFREEDOM911]

Kim is hamstrung.

Stalling will just prolong his misery. Again, he *offered* to meet Trump for a reason: namely, that the sanctions are crippling him. He may have army but the army needs to eat. Whatever military capacity he has, it needs to fuel to operate. One of the reasons Kim gets so pissy about joint military exercises around the Peninsula is that it forces him to use precious fuel and resources to counter them.

Trump just needs to keep the sanctions on him and he will fold—or be taken out by his own generals.

I'm wondering if he'll just "die in his sleep"!!

[Micawber]

I bet Kim meets an intrigue death like Julius Caesar. That would be the suck part of his job.
Which general is going to knife me?

[Bigdog]

what agreement?
they have to agree on terms. I think it will be step by step ( NK does step by step denukes -sanctions are removed step by step) but i'm just guessing

The agreement that the secretary of state negotiated.

[dukkha]

The agreement that the secretary of state negotiated.

that is not an agreement. I don't even think they have agreed on what "denuclearization" is.
we have our definition,but is it the same as kims?

This summit ( if it happens) is unusual in that it would hammering out principles which are then negotiated
instead of the usual guaranteed agreements that get signed at summits

[Leonthecat]

Kim may not be around much longer, Brother.

And he may be around for decades.
Similar things were said about Il.
How long did his dad rule?
1974-2011

[Legion]

And he may be around for decades. Similar things were said about Il. How long did his dad rule? 1974-2011

All true, Brother.

Yet times and circumstances have changed. His father was never challenged like this, was he?

I suspect Kim may be vulnerable if he shows weakness.

Speculation is futile. We shall see.

[Bigdog]

that is not an agreement. I don't even think they have agreed on what "denuclearization" is.
we have our definition,but is it the same as kims?

This summit ( if it happens) is unusual in that it would hammering out principles which are then negotiated
instead of the usual guaranteed agreements that get signed at summits

It was a handshake agreement with established principles. The key component of which was verifiable denuclearization. Kimmy took that off the table ... so there is no reason to meet ... at this point.

[ThatOwlWoman]

Trump needs this meeting more than North Korea does.

Kim got what he wanted -- the slavish groveling of an American president who thought that it would add a feather to his cap. He played Twittler like a violin.