Diplomat Jim Patterson on North Korea's Nuclear Capability and Foreign Relations History

January 4, 2017

Dear Senator Feinstein,

I do not understand what the U.S. policy is regarding North Korea's nuclear capabilities. According to news reports, North Korea has nuclear missile strike capability on major California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco. Seattle may also be in strike range capability of North Korean Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.

I do not understand why the U.S. has allowed the dangerous North Korean government to develop, test and ready nuclear missiles capable of striking the U.S.  It seems to me this is a failure of leadership by the U.S. government.

Please share with me what the Senate is doing to protect Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other cities at risk of attack by North Korea. Thank you for an email response to

Sincerely,

James Patterson

Member California State Society

Life Member American Foreign Service Association

Supporter Stanford University

Highlights in American Foreign Relations History

January 3, 2017

1993, President George H.W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).

1946, William Joyce, the pro-Nazi radio propagandist known as "Lord Haw-Haw," was hanged at Wandsworth Prison in London for high treason.

1959, Alaska became the 49th state as President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a proclamation. See Miller Center for Foreign Policy of the Eisenhower administration.

1977, Apple Computer was incorporated in Cupertino, California, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Mike Makkula Jr.

1980, conservationist Joy Adamson, author of "Born Free," was killed in northern Kenya by a former employee.

2007 Former US President Gerald R. Ford was laid to rest on the grounds of his presidential museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during a ceremony watched by thousands of onlookers. See Miller Center for Foreign Policy of the Ford administration.

2007 Four Americans and an Austrian abducted in southern Iraq spoke briefly and appeared uninjured in a video delivered to The Associated Press. (The men, security contractors for the Crescent Security Group based in Kuwait, were later killed by their captors.)

2012 A gas pipeline in central Syria exploded; the government blamed "terrorists" while the opposition accused officials of playing on fears of religious extremism and terrorism to rally support behind President Bashar Assad.

2016 Saudi Arabia announced it was severing diplomatic relations with Shiite powerhouse Iran amid escalating tensions over the Sunni kingdom's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

Jim Patterson note: If the U.S. had not committed 8 years of foreign policy folly (See Obama/Clinton administration), voter demand for a robust, considered and American foreign policy would not have produced the Trump/Pence administration.

That note reminds me of this quote:

"If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done." - Ludwig Wittgenstein, Austrian philosopher (1889-1951).

About Jim Patterson 

Jim Patterson is a life member American Foreign Service Association, member Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, Member California and New York State Societies, Associate Member Korean War Veteran's Association, Member U.S. Philippine Society, Fraternity of Alpha Zeta, Life Member Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America, Friend of the Israeli Defense Forces, member American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and DACOR.  Mr. Patterson is a Washington DC based writer and speaker who travels on assignments internationally. Contact JEPDiplomat@gmail.com for assignment availability.