John Kerry Undercuts Key American Ally

In an example of how not to negotiate national security issues, Secretary of State John Kerry triggered confusion and consternation for key ally South Korea on U.S. deployment of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system.

---

Just as Washington was finally gaining momentum for deploying a system that would significantly improve anti-missile protection for South Korea and U.S. forces stationed there, Kerry committed a serious diplomatic faux pas. During a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi last week, Kerry announced, “We have made it very clear that we are not hungry or anxious to deploy THAAD. The only reason for THAAD being in consultation … is because of the provocative actions of North Korea, which has publicly announced it is focused on the United States and which is developing weapons which have the ability to attack the United States. If we can get to denuclearization, there is no need to deploy THAAD.” More...

---