Donald Trump tweets, denounces 25 years of US policy on North Korea

File picture of Donald Trump. (Image: Reuters)

US President Donald Trump, it seems, badly wants to go war with North Korea. He tweeted about it again, this time decrying 25 years of US foreign policy in dealing with the perceived North Korean threat. 

Trump’s latest tweet in the ongoing ratcheting up of tensions and stakes in East Asia comes days after mixed messaging from his administration, which saw officials other than the President scramble to avoid violence on the Korean peninsula even as Trump himself seemed to pave the path to war.

“Our country has been unsuccessfully dealing with North Korea for 25 years, giving billions of dollars & getting nothing. Policy didn't work!” Trump tweeted early on Monday morning.

Our country has been unsuccessfully dealing with North Korea for 25 years, giving billions of dollars & getting nothing. Policy didn't work!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2017

This is very similar to his tweets a day earlier.

Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid......

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2017

...hasn't worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, makings fools of U.S. negotiators. Sorry, but only one thing will work!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2017

Sticking to habit, Trump offered no information or corroborations to his statement. This has left it unclear who or what he was specifically referring to when he said ‘giving billions of dollars’.

Trump’s comment comes less than a week after he undercut statements by Rex Tillerson, his own Secretary of State. Tillerson, in China, had said the US is attempting to find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing escalation of tensions with North Korea.

Trump stopped that in its tracks, again with a tweet.

Our country has been unsuccessfully dealing with North Korea for 25 years, giving billions of dollars & getting nothing. Policy didn't work!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2017

...Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017

Tillerson is not the only top US official who has been caught saying basically the opposite of what Trump has been tweeting. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis too was clear when he said the problem on the Korean peninsula did not have a military solution. He had pointed out that any outbreak of violence would put the 25 million people of Seoul in danger of North Korean bombardment immediately.