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He did however give a timeline for leaving.... But officials said he stressed that U.S. strategic goals in Syria do not include longer-term stability or reconstruction efforts. He said he did not want to be having the same conversation about withdrawal six months or more from now.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018...ump-deserves-nobel-peace-prize-not-obama.html After North Korea triumph Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, not Obama At the conclusion of the day-long summit between North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in Friday, one thing was clear: the meeting would never have taken place if not for President Trump. And for this achievement, President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. It’s true that we won’t really know for weeks or months whether the North-South Korean summit will bring about better relations between the two Koreas and result in Kim getting rid of his small arsenal of nuclear weapons. We shouldn’t naively believe any promises Kim makes without verifiable proof, because he has a history of lying. His promises may last as long as a snowman in August. But President Trump’s tough stance against a nuclear North Korea and his success in winning approval of international economic sanctions against the North at the United Nations that have crippled the country’s economy clearly succeeded beyond expectations in pushing Kim to the negotiating table. Video North Korea and South Korea's historic meeting: What to know And President Trump’s willingness to hold an unprecedented summit with Kim in coming weeks gave the dictator the incentive to recently announce he was halting nuclear weapons testing, closing an underground test site, and ending tests of long-range missiles. In 2009, President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for… um … for ... well, for giving good speeches and having big plans for making the world a more peaceful place. In 2015, the former secretary of the Nobel Institute, even acknowledged that the prestigious prize was awarded prematurely to President Obama – for achievements the institute hoped Obama would achieve, rather than for what he had actually accomplished. “Many of Obama’s supporters believe it was a mistake,” Geir Lundestad wrote in his memoir. “As such it did not achieve what the committee had hoped for.” He added that awarding the prize to President Obama “was only partially correct.” In contrast, President Trump has concrete accomplishments to his credit early in his term – the summit Friday and his upcoming summit with Kim. I’m no Pollyanna. I realize Kim will likely never agree to give up all his nuclear weapons – though he could agree to limits on his nuclear and missile programs and other actions to make him less of a threat to his neighbors and to the U.S. And I realize that there is every reason to believe the inter-Korean summit was nothing more than a giant PR stunt on the world stage – big on photo ops and short on any real substance. Video North and South Korea vow to end decades-long war But give President Trump the credit he deserves – he has successfully de-escalated the biggest of threats: the possibility of a war with North Korea where nuclear weapons could have been used in mass, with millions of people dying as a result. This is no small accomplishment – and certainly worth the Nobel Peace Prize. In addition to setting the aspirational goal of working toward the removal of all nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula, Kim and Moon said they would seek talks with the U.S. to officially end the Korean War with a peace treaty. The war ended in 1953 with an armistice, meaning that the North and South remain technically at war. Will there ever be a real peace treaty between the divided Koreas and the U.S.? We don’t know – but we’re a lot closer to one now than we were before President Trump took office. And realistically, I bet Kim will never try to open his country to the world in any meaningful way. The summit we just witnessed, at least to me, feels like the geopolitical equivalent of Bill Murray’s movie “Groundhog Day” – Pyongyang makes big promises and nothing happens besides negotiations that go nowhere. The North – then led by Kim’s father – did the same during similar summits in 2000 and 2007. Indeed, the photo-ops look nearly identical. Video President Trump: We're doing very well with North Korea But in all honesty, if that is indeed the case, who cares? That is what we should have expected, because North Korea’s playbook is clear. Promise the world, stall for time, and string the world along until it has a bigger problem to deal with. It worked in the past, and it will most likely work again. But none of that matters. We need to focus on the results that President Trump has achieved so far. And they are – to use his phraseology – 'yuge.' The Trump administration has successfully contained the North – militarily, economically and diplomatically – and put the hermit kingdom in a vise that would be hard to escape from. With an economy worth only $14 billion annually – only one-third the size of Ethiopia – we need to understand that North Korea is a problem that we can now manage. That’s an important point to remember, even if we aren’t ever able truly get Kim to give up all his nuclear bombs. So while the inter-Korean summit was no game-changer, we need to see the positives of what has been achieved. The danger from Pyongyang, while not entirely removed, can now be handled – likely for decades. Thanks to President Trump. History tells us we can do this. If we were able apply a maximum pressure campaign on the mighty Soviet Union – which had thousands of nuclear weapons – for 40 years, we can certainly contain a small impoverished nation that can’t even feed its own people. Combine that with President Trump’s campaign to nearly destroy the Islamic State – freeing millions of people from what can only be described as enslavement by a fanatical terrorist organization – and you see the President Trump has achieved some big things on the world stage. For all these reasons, I say give President Trump the Noble Peace Prize. And if it were possible, maybe the Nobel Institute should strip President Obama of his prize and give that to President Trump as well. Harry J. Kazianis (@grecianformula) is director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest, founded by former President Richard M. Nixon. Click here, for more on Mr. Kazianis.
Unparalleled achievement for world peace by President Trump. Beyond anything any US President before him has done. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...an-leaders-meet-for-historic-border-handshake Kim, Moon Pledge Denuclearization Of Peninsula And End To Korean War April 27, 201812:39 AM ET Heard on All Things Considered Elise Hu After crossing the demarcation line, Kim and Moon walk to the official welcome hall for the first North-South summit in more than a decade. Korea Summit Press Pool/Reuters Updated at 5:05 a.m. ET Following a historic meeting between North Korea's Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the leaders appeared side by side to make an extraordinary announcement: The two nations — technically in a state of war for more than six decades — would work toward a permanent peace treaty and the elimination of nuclear weapons from the peninsula. "I am very proud to say that I pay tribute to the bold and courageous decision taken by Chairman Kim," Moon said, saying the two sides had agreed to a peace treaty and the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula. Parallels In South Korea, Summit With North Korea Is Greeted With Hope — And Skepticism "We have long hoped for this moment to arrive," Kim, standing next to Moon, said. "We are not people who should be confronting each other," the North Korean leader said. "We should be living in unity." While the agreement contains lofty language, it will be up to diplomats, bureaucrats and militaries on both sides to work through specific steps to reach those goals. And the effort will require detailed negotiation between both Koreas and the United States, which could take months, if not years, to conclude. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in raise their hands after signing a joint statement at the border village of Panmunjom. Korea Summit Press Pool/AP For now, the agreement mentions denuclearization but doesn't offer specific steps, which will lead to a lot of skepticism about how committed the North is given its past abandonment of denuclearization agreements. The day began with a handshake that symbolized hope that two Koreas could create a lasting rapprochement. Kim, flanked by bodyguards in matching black suits, stepped out of a building on the northern side of the village of Panmunjom, where the two sides ended the Korean War in 1953 with a simple truce, but no broader peace treaty. Notably absent in this shared security zone were the dozens of armed soldiers who typically stand guard near the military demarcation line. Two previous summits, in 2000 and 2007, were unable to make progress on the most pressing issue — the North's pursuit of nuclear weapons. The nuclear question looms even larger this time around — in the past year, Pyongyang has not only demonstrated its ability to produce such weapons but also the potential to deliver them via long-range ballistic missiles that can reach as far as the continental United States. The Blue House, South Korea's presidential residence, said the two leaders had a "frank discussion" in a morning session, which included the subject of denuclearization. A year of especially serious tensions leading up to Friday was followed by a sudden thaw and an offer by Kim in recent weeks to meet with President Trump. Mere months ago, the two leaders were trading insults and threatening to wage war. However, the White House appears to be taking Kim's offer seriously and the two men could meet as soon as next month. The Two-Way South Korea: Summit With U.S. Likely Next Month The Two-Way 'The Peace House' Is All Set For Kim Jong Un's First Summit In South Korea At Panmunjom, Kim and Moon smiled and exchanged greetings. Moon, on the south side of the border, walked over to meet Kim so that their handshake could be photographed at the symbolic military demarcation line that divides the North from South. In the meticulously choreographed ceremony, hands clasped and Moon invited Kim over an ankle-high concrete barrier that divides the two countries — the first time the North Korean leader — or any North Korean leader — had ever set foot in the South. Then Kim gestured to Moon to take a step into the North, which the South Korean leader did. The presidential office later said that the unscripted moment came after Moon said he wanted to visit North Korea someday. Kim reacted quickly by offering to have him step right over to the northern side for a few moments, before they crossed back over to the South, hand in hand. They walked side by side down a red carpet, observed a brightly-colored traditional Korean honor guard ceremony, before proceeding into the three-story Peace House for their summit. Kim and Moon continue their visit after posing for photos in front of a picture of North Korea's Mount Geumgangsan, which has special significance for all Koreans. Korea Summit Press Pool/Getty Images Entering the Peace House, Kim wrote in the guest book: "New history starts from now, at the historic starting point of an era of peace." The pair posed for photos in front of a picture of North Korea's Mount Geumgangsan, which has special significance for all Koreans dating to before the Middle Ages. Kim Yong Chol, the head of North Korea's national intelligence service, began clapping and others from both sides joined in. "It feels embarrassing to be applauded just for shaking hands," the North Korean leader said, but acknowledged, "The norms are changing." "Did that make for a good picture?" he asked as journalists and others laughed. Once seated inside, Kim quipped that he brought Pyongyang's famous naengmyeon, cold noodles, "from far away," then corrected himself to say it wasn't so far away at all. The two leaders and their wives were expected to attend a dinner banquet Friday evening, featuring the noodles brought from the North. Even with the outward appearance of geniality, however, lingering suspicions were evident: After Moon stepped out of Peace House, two North Korean security guards swept into the lobby, sprayed the chair at the guestbook signing desk with sanitizer and wiped it down. They also cleaned the guestbook and pen with sanitizer — twice. Then the guards used electronic gear to scan the chair and signing desk. The reason? A South Korean security guard told reporters that their North Korean counterparts were checking for explosives and recording devices. After separate lunches, the two leaders commemorated the summit by shoveling soil around a pine tree and then sprinkling it with water from South Korea's Han River and North Korea's Taedong River. Moon and Kim then walked away from the cameras and microphones and sat at a bench to have a conversation without their aides. For much of that lengthy discussion, Kim could be seen listening intently to Moon, smiling and laughing at times. Korea Summit Press Pool /AP Korea Summit Press Pool/AFP/Getty Images Korea Summit Press Pool/Getty Images Pool/Getty Images Korea Summit Press Pool via AP Handout /Reuters Reuters TV/Reuters Korea Summit Press Pool via AP Korea Summit Press Pool/Getty Images Korea Summit Press Pool/Getty Images Korea Summit Press Pool/Getty Images Pool/Getty Images Handout /Reuters Korea Summit Press Pool/AFP/Getty Images Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images 1 of 15 NPR news assistant Se Eun Gong contributed to this story from Ilsan, South Korea.
While I’m more in favor of Moon receiving the peace prize and the bulk of the accolades I think there is certainly room for Trump and Obama to both share in the moment and take pride that they helped towards this resolution.
>I did not perceive Britain, France and Germany as "war mongering". I always thought we were the self appointed number one world cop. The perfect example is our involvement in Syria. Goofy Bush said "Your either with us or against us". His vampire father proclaimed "a new world order". Trump wants an upgraded nuke arsenal and the defense budget is astronomical. This country has the war fetish.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/us-china-agree-to-reduce-370b-trade-deficit US, China agree to reduce $370B trade deficit By Megan HenneyPublished May 19, 2018ChinaFOXBusiness The United States and China agreed to take steps to significantly reduce the $370 billion trade deficit between the two economic powerhouses by having Beijing purchase more goods, according to a joint statement released by the two nations on Saturday. “There was a consensus on taking effective measures to substantially reduce the United States trade deficit in goods with China,” the statement read. “To meet the growing consumption needs of the Chinese people and the need for high-quality economic development, China will significantly increase purchases of United States goods and services.” According to the White House, the U.S. will increase its agriculture and energy exports to China and will send a team of negotiators to Beijing to work out the details. It was unclear how much the deficit would be reduced by. President Trump has been insistent about reducing the trade deficit -- which the White House has blamed for the loss of millions of U.S. jobs -- between the two countries. But when U.S. officials met with officials in Beijing last week, no deal was reached in large part because China refused a demand to cut the trade deficit by $200 billion within the next two years. The president met with China’s Vice Premier Liu He at the White House on Tuesday afternoon, according to Trump’s chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow, who said there was “great interest” in further the negotiations. The delegations, which included Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, also discussed expanding trade in manufactured goods and services, as well as improving trade conditions in these areas. Kudlow, a self-avowed free trade advocate, hinted earlier this week that conversations between the U.S. and China were moving in a direction that would eliminate trading barriers, like tariffs. “Both sides agreed to encourage two-way investment and to strive to create a fair, level playing field for competition,” the statement read.
