North Korea: America's Punching Bag

by Stephen Lendman

America needs enemies to advance its imperial agenda. Since none exist, they're invented. 

Case in point, North Korea, Washington's favorite Asian punching bag since Truman's aggression, falsely blamed on Pyongyang.

IF Stone's Hidden History of the Korean War explained it. Truman manipulated South Korean cross-border provocations.

Devastating war followed. Beating up on North Korea persists after all these years - solely for geopolitical reasons. Pyongyang pursued normalized relations for decades, consistently denied by Washington.

It threatens no one, favoring peace and stability, not war. It suffered hugely from Truman's aggression. Up to four million died, mostly civilians. Terror weapons were used, including napalm and toxic agents - chemical and biological.

Most of its cities were greatly damaged or destroyed. Large industrial ones were 75 - 100% destroyed. Villages were turned to "low, wide mounds of violent ashes."

Pyongyang fears America for good reason. Truman's war never ended. A longstanding uneasy armistice persists. Its government sees a nuclear and ballistic missile deterrent as its best defense against another US imperial war.

On Sunday, it launched what it called a successful test of its new strategic medium-to-long-range ballistic missile, according to its KCNA state news agency.

It fell into the Sea of Japan after covering a distance of about 500 km, far short of long-range. Russia's Foreign Ministry expressed cause for concern, "urg(ing) all parties concerned to show composure and refrain from actions that lead to further escalation of tension."

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Beijing opposed the test, urging all parties to exercise restraint to maintain regional stability.

South Korea's defense ministry called the launch a "provocation to test the response from the new US administration…" Acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn vowed a "corresponding punishment," with no further elaboration.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited unnamed sources, saying "in response to North Korea's missile launch Sunday, we are reviewing measures to discard security concerns and show our determination to retaliate against any aggression by the North" - indicating Seoul may demonstrate its own intermediate-range ballistic missile capability.

Trump issued a short statement, saying "I just want everybody to understand and fully know that the United States of America stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100%."

Tokyo's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said his government is "working to secure a firm response to these actions by the UN Security Council."

An emergency session is planned for Monday to beat up on North Korea again instead of taking steps to normalize relations responsibly.

Clear US-led Western threats to its national security force Pyongyang to take defensive measures. Its deterrent strength is the best way to avoid another devastating war.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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