In a statement from the Warmbier family they announce the American student, Otto Warmbier, who was detained by North Korea, and released last week while in a coma, died today at 2:20pm EDT.
It was less than two weeks ago when the Warmbier family first found out about Otto’s condition – that he was in a coma for over a year. Now, less than a week after reuniting with their son, he has passed…
Family statement below:
The father of Otto Warmbier, the American college student imprisoned in North Korea until this week, spoke today about his experience working with both the Obama and Trump administrations’ to free his son.
During a press conference at his local high school in Wyoming, OH Thursday morning Fred Warmbier outlined how the Obama administration told the family to sit and wait; and contrast against how the Trump administration took action on their requests.
Mr. Warmbier said the Obama administration told his family to “take a low profile.” When asked if the previous administration could have done more to secure the release of his son, Fred Warmbier responded, “I think the results speak for themselves.”
Showcasing a unique aspect of the President Trump common sense approach toward coalition building, today the United Nations security council voted unanimously, in public, to increase sanctions against North Korea. Yes, ‘unanimously’.
China and Russia voted in alliance with the permanent security council members the U.S., France and the United Kingdom to support increased sanctions. They voted in alignment publicly. Don’t look for the anti-Trump media to make note of this critical point.
(Via Reuters) […] Adding names to the U.N. blacklist – a global travel ban and asset freeze – was the minimum sanctions measures the Security Council could have taken and comes after five weeks of negotiations between Washington and Beijing.
“The Security Council is sending a clear message to North Korea today – stop firing ballistic missiles or face the consequences,” Haley said.
The resolution, adopted unanimously by the 15-member council, sanctions four entities, including the Koryo Bank and Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People’s Army, and 14 people, including the head of Pyongyang’s overseas spying operations.
One of the key elements to remember today -when reviewing articles and information about a successful ICBM intercept by a gound-based launch interceptor missile- is the actual interception happened in space (low earth orbit).
This shield program was the visionary “Star Wars” missile defense system originally proposed by President Ronald Reagan.
The development of Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) systems are in conjunction with an anticipated future ‘space-based’ orbiting intercept system – to create the ICBM defense shield. Today’s GMD interceptor test was successful. GMD monitors are on land, sea and in orbit. Congratulations USAF
Around the clock, every day of the year, the GMD system acts as the nation’s shield and first line of defense to warn, alert and defend against the threat of ballistic missile attacks.
(CALIFORNIA) […] Today was the very first live-fire test against an ICBM class target for GMD and the United States defense system against ballistic missiles.
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis appears on (De)Face The Nation with John Dickerson and updates on the ongoing deconstruction and elimination of ISIS. It is an excellent interview, and you must certainly watch to the end for the “mad dog”.
Secretary Mattis discusses how Secretary Tillerson and President Trump are coordinating the backside politics to ensure stability after he crushes the bastards. In addition Secretary Mattis discusses North Korea, NATO, Russia and other regional concerns.
Secretary Mattis Honesty [fighting ISIS]:
“civilian casualties are a fact of live in this sort of situation. We do everything humanly possible, consistent with military necessity, taking many chances, to avoid civilian casualties at all costs.”
Are people beginning to catch on? Are people beginning to identify the long-ball strategy of a non-traditional approach toward geo-political alliances?
Apparently, some are – because North Korea is not happy with the heavy pressure coming from Big Panda, China. As identified within this radio interview between Dr. Gorka and Brian Kilmeade…
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I don’t want to say, I told you so… but:
The media gnats, and some doofus conservative punditry, quip about President Trump talking to Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Duterte is also the rotational President of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). Meanwhile, President Trump and Secretary of State Tillerson remain keenly focused on the BIGGER PICTURE in Asia and how ASEAN policy relates to N-Korea.
Thankfully the grow-ups are in charge.
STATE DEPT – Secretary of State Tillerson hosted the Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for a special U.S.-ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting, reinforcing the Strategic Partnership between the United States and ASEAN and commemorating the 40th anniversary of U.S.-ASEAN relations.
Secretary Tillerson underscored that the Asia-Pacific region is a top priority for the Trump Administration and that ASEAN is an essential partner. ASEAN Ministers welcomed the continued commitment by the United States to ASEAN, including the Association’s community-building and regional integration efforts.
Earlier we shared the remarks by Secretary Rex Tillerson as he opened a U.N. Ministerial Session on North Korea’s nuclear ambition. However, what we were unable to find was video of the closing remarks.
The closing remarks by T-Rex were intensely direct. The video is available on the State Department Website HERE. (w/ Transcript Below) There are some critical forward policy points outlined in the T-Rex closing.
SECRETARY TILLERSON: I shall now make a further statement in my capacity as Secretary of State of the United States.
First, I appreciate all of the statements that have been made by you, and I have received those statements in the constructive spirit in which I know they’ve been offered. I also want to acknowledge the presence of a large number of ambassadors with us today. Your presence gives strength to the importance of this issue. It is a visible demonstration of the importance of this issue to the international community, and I welcome you, and I appreciate you being here.
It has been stressed repeatedly in many of your statements today North Korea has failed to honor its commitments of the past. It has made promises which it has broken. Had this body fully enforced and stood behind resolutions it had enacted in the past, vigorously enforcing sanctions with full compliance, perhaps we would not have found ourselves confronted with the high level of tension that we face today.
We will not negotiate our way back to the negotiating table with North Korea. We will not reward their violations of past resolutions. We will not reward their bad behavior with talks. We will only engage in talks with North Korea when they exhibit a good-faith commitment to abiding by the Security Council resolutions and their past promises to end their nuclear programs.
National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster appears on Fox News Sunday for an interview with swamp guardian Chris Wallace.
Previously, some people, stimulated by the worries of annoying arbitrary gnat nonsense, expressed concern that McMaster might be inclined to lean the President Trump administration further toward an interventionist foreign policy.
If you listen to the numerous interviews McMaster has given since taking on the role of National Security Adviser you can clearly sense that President Trump has clear eyes and a firm grip on any McMaster lean.
Secretary T-Rex is the preferred policy point, and doing brilliantly. McMaster represents the AWACS covering Tillerson’s travel, and Mattis is the archangel on his shoulder.
{{snickering}} Well, who didn’t see this coming?…
(New York Post) President Trump spoke by phone Saturday with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte — praising the strongman for “fighting very hard to rid his country of drugs” and inviting him to Washington.
The two leaders also discussed regional security, including concerns over South Korea, the White House said in a statement.
No details were given on when Duterte would visit the US, but Trump also said he looked forward to visiting the Philippines in November for a summit with other Asian nations. (link)
As we shared five days ago – this is all part of a much, much bigger strategy. Full explainer about how President Duterte fits in AVAILABLE HERE. The insufferable media can’t even see it…. their intellectual dishonesty is becoming very annoying.