TEHRAN, “Bilateral talks (between the US and North Korea) will likely continue for many months or years, ending again in US betrayal like earlier - very similar to Washington’s pullout from the JCPOA,” Chicago-based Stephen Lendman told the Tasnim News Agency in an interview.
“(US President Donald) Trump’s JCPOA pullout shows Washington can never be trusted,” the analyst said, adding, “It consistently agrees to one thing and does another, betraying its negotiating partners. It tells me hope for durable peace and reconciliation with North Korea is pure fantasy.”
Stephen Lendman is a writer, syndicated columnist, activist, News TV personality, and radio show host. He currently writes for MoneyNewsNow.com and VeteransToday.com and hosts, since 2007, a progressive radio show at The Progressive Radio News Hour on The Progressive Radio Network.
The following is the full text of the interview:
Tasnim: US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un concluded their recent historic summit in Singapore by signing a deal that included a pledge to “work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” What do you think about the agreement and how do you predict its success given Washington’s non-commitment to international treaties?
Lendman: I’ve written volumes on Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, along with what preceded and followed the first ever meeting between leaders of both countries. Kim, his father, and grandfather long sought normalized relations with Washington and the West - never achieved because US administrations undermined their good faith negotiations and agreements.
Is this time different with the most hardline/extremist ever US administration in power? Washington has been at war with the DPRK since the late 1940s. An uneasy armistice persists. US administrations were never willing to recognize North Korean sovereignty nor end a state of war officially since the early 1950s conflict ended - Harry Truman’s war, not Kim Il-sung’s.
The DPRK today wants Washington and South Korea agreeing to a formal peace treaty, unacceptable sanctions lifted, the nation’s sovereign independence respected, and most of all firm security guarantees, ending the threat of war on the country.
I strongly believe hardliners in charge of Trump’s geopolitical policies will never grant North Korea what all countries deserve. Bilateral talks will likely continue for many months or years, ending again in US betrayal like earlier - very similar to Washington’s pullout from the JCPOA.
All US administrations want pro-Western puppet regimes replacing sovereign independent countries worldwide - including Iran, North Korea, Russia, China, and all others.
Peace and stability are anathema to their agenda. Endless wars of aggression and color revolutions serve Washington’s imperial ambitions - seeking unchallenged global dominance.
Tasnim: On Sunday, Trump attacked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a tweet over the New York Democrat's criticisms of the North Korea summit. Schumer said the summit was “what the Texans call all cattle and no hat”. What do you think about the domestic disputes over the deal?
Lendman: Undemocratic Dems are hostile to Trump talks with Kim Jong-un. They want continued hostility toward the DPRK. Hardline Republicans feel the same way, whether or not they’ll publicly admit it.
Most everyone in Washington opposes reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Achieving it would weaken the US claim about needing to keep troops in South Korea and Japan for regional security reasons.
Tasnim: As you know, Trump recently announced the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, US, Britain, France, and Germany). Prior to the move, the US had repeatedly violated the international pact by imposing numerous sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Given Washington’s non-commitment to such an important international agreement, what would be a guarantee of success of the US-North Korea deal?
Lendman: Trump’s JCPOA pullout shows Washington can never be trusted. It consistently agrees to one thing and does another, betraying its negotiating partners. It tells me hope for durable peace and reconciliation with North Korea is pure fantasy.