President Obama writes Jim Patterson on the Korean Situation

Dear James: Thank you for writing.  The United States does not ignore what happens beyond our borders, and we are committed to promoting peace, security, and human rights throughout the world. Through its provocative and destabilizing behavior, pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, and systematic, widespread human rights abuses, North Korea has isolated and impoverished its people and intensified its threat to international peace and security—including that of the United States.  Alongside our allies and partners around the world, we have condemned this behavior, enhanced efforts to deter and defend against threats, and strengthened the multilateral sanctions regime to demonstrate that there are consequences for North Korea’s actions. My Administration is determined to prevent North Korea from achieving its stated goals of advancing its nuclear program and gaining international acceptance as a nuclear weapons state while pursuing economic development.  In addition to working with partners to fully enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions, I signed a new Executive Order to facilitate the implementation of additional sanctions of unprecedented breadth and strength, and to underscore our resolve to deter North Korea’s destructive behavior.  I am determined to stand by our country’s ironclad commitment to defend treaty allies in the region. We also share the international community’s concern about human rights abuses in North Korea.  The United Nations Commission of Inquiry has documented past and current abuses in painstaking detail, and we will continue working closely with our partners and allies to expose these actions and press North Korea to acknowledge and cease these serious violations. North Korea has a choice:  It can follow a path where it meets its obligations and enjoys greater security and prosperity, or it can stay on a course of confrontation and face more pressure and isolation. I remain open to opportunities for credible dialogue, but my Administration will not reward North Korea for undermining peace and stability or for defying the international community.  We will continue to hold North Korea accountable for destabilizing and repressive actions, and we will sustain our unbreakable alliance with South Korea. Thank you, again, for writing. Sincerely, Barack Obama Jim Note: I especially like the last sentence, "We will continue to hold North Korea accountable for destabilizing and repressive actions, and we will sustain our unbreakable alliance with South Korea." Given tensions, I must conclude the U.S. stands militarily to act if/when North Korea makes the decision to escalate militarily in South Korea. JEP