Dennis Rodman Meets North Korea's Kim Jung Un

[Michelle420]

[ame=http://youtu.be/QLdefaQ0Yd8]Dennis Rodman Meets North Korea's Kim Jung Un - YouTube[/ame]

The United States’ new top diplomat made his first official trip overseas last week, becoming the highest-profile American to visit with a young and enigmatic totalitarian dictator since the dictator was installed in power following the death of his father. After his trip, the diplomat, who, years before, had been a talented athlete, and who once wore a wedding dress to a press event promoting his autobiography, returned home and explained the nuances of the leader’s worldview to a high-ranking member of a recent Presidential Administration who now hosts a morning variety show. The diplomat brought good news: the dictator had promised peace, which in translation came out as, “I don’t want to do war. I don’t want to do war.”

This is not, of course, an excerpt from the latest satirical novel about a cruelly absurd dystopian future, but, instead, a news item from the dystopian satire that is our real present. Dennis Rodman, the basketball player, seemingly still as bad as he wants to be years after his agent-provocateur time, spent last week in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as the guest of honor of Kim Jong-un, taking in an exhibition basketball game featuring members of the Harlem Globetrotters, and, later, reportedly being feted by Kim at a party that seems to have met Rodman’s high standards. The trip was organized by Vice magazine and HBO as part of a television series that will début in April. Speaking to George Stephanopoulos yesterday, Rodman called Kim an “awesome guy,” but later tempered his praise slightly: “He’s a good guy to me… as a person to person, he’s my friend. I don’t condone what he does.”

There have been calls for U.S. intelligence agencies to debrief Rodman on the particulars of his trip, but based on his interview with Stephanopoulos, it’s not clear that Rodman would have anything of value to share. The State Department, whose own top official, John Kerry, was making his first international tour as Secretary of State last week, resisted condemning the visit, but a spokesman nonetheless added, in a voice of reason, “You’ve got the regime spending money to wine and dine foreign visitors, when they should be feeding their own people.”


Read more: Dennis Rodman Visits Kim Jong-un in North Korea : The New Yorker

Dennis Rodman Visits Kim Jong-un in North Korea : The New Yorker

 

[Michelle420]

[ame=http://youtu.be/GixKLkai6uA]Dennis Rodman 'This Week' Interview: NBA Basketball Star Discusses Kim Jong Un, North Korea Visit - YouTube[/ame]

 

[waltky]

Granny says lil' Kim itchin' fer a stitchin'...

A look at what NKorea vow to scrap armistice means
Mar 6,`13 -- The armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953 is, at best, a fragile thing: The countries overseeing it have formally accused each other of more than 1.2 million violations.

But North Korea's threat to scrap the cease-fire next Monday still matters because the armistice is the key document blocking hostilities on the Korean Peninsula, which technically has remained in a state of war for six decades. If North Korea follows through on its threat to nullify the document that set up the heavily armed buffer zone between the rival Koreas, it could drive badly frayed relations even lower. The threat comes as diplomats at the U.N. negotiate sanctions aimed at punishing Pyongyang for its recent nuclear test and as allies Washington and Seoul plan massive war games set to start Monday.

Here's a look at what the North's threat could mean for the Korean Peninsula's fragile peace:

ON THE GROUND:

The armistice signed on July 27, 1953, set up an apparatus meant to govern a cease-fire ending the war. It can be seen most clearly at the Demilitarized Zone between North and South. The armistice called for the creation of a military demarcation line and the DMZ around it - a 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) -wide "buffer zone," with one side controlled by the American-led U.N. Command and the other side by North Korea. The armistice prohibited "hostile acts" within or across the zone. As a hotline between the sides, it set up a military truce commission at the Panmunjom village that straddles the DMZ.

By scrapping the armistice, North Korea would be effectively refusing to recognize the DMZ, which is a violent place even with the rules of the armistice in place: Hundreds of troops serving under the U.N. command have died in the buffer zone over the years. "North Korea wants to show it can attack South Korea at any time," said analyst Cheong Seong-jang at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea. "The chance for limited war ... has increased." The South Korean military says North Korea has violated the armistice by deploying machine guns inside the DMZ, triggering exchanges of gunfire along the border and digging infiltration tunnels.

North Korea has accused the U.S. and South Korea of deploying heavy weapons and combat personnel inside the DMZ, conducting war maneuvers targeting the North and firing at North Korean fishing boats near the western sea boundary. North Korea said this week that its Korean People's Army Supreme Command will stop all activities at the "Panmunjom mission of the KPA, which was tentatively established and operated by it as a negotiating body for establishing a peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean Peninsula." The North also vowed to cut off a phone line linking North Korea and the United States at Panmunjom.

FEAR IN SEOUL, TALKS IN WASHINGTON?

 

[Michelle420]

[ame=http://youtu.be/C7Ro8-4b-OM]Kim Jung Un 'Don't Want War' He 'Want Obama To Call Him' Claim Dennis Rodman - YouTube[/ame]

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - let China waste their time tryin' to reason with `em...

China Urges Restraint After N. Korea Nullification Threat
March 06, 2013 - China is urging restraint after North Korea announced it would nullify the Korean War armistice with South Korea if Seoul goes ahead with plans to conduct annual war exercises with the United States.

"The Korean War armistice is significant in terms of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily press briefing Wednesday. Hua said China hoped that all parties would refrain from actions that could further escalate tensions. "In the long-term, we believe that a peace mechanism should replace the armistice," Hua said. She added that negotiations among relevant parties should be the means to achieving the goal of peace and stability in the region.

Pyongyang has issued similar threats before, also timed to coincide with the annual joint U.S.-South Korean naval exercises. On March 5, U.N. diplomats said the United States and China reached a tentative deal on new sanctions to punish North Korea for its latest nuclear weapons test. After the February test, China’s official stance was to “resolutely” oppose North Korean testing.

North Korea is already under tough sanctions as a result of its previous nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. In January, the U.N. Security Council expanded those sanctions in response to a December rocket launch. China is North Korea's top ally and trading partner and supplies the impoverished country with crucial economic and humanitarian assistance. China also is seen as one of the few nations able to influence Pyongyang.

Source

 

[Michelle420]

The United States has direct channels of communications with the DPRK. And instead of spending money on celebrity sporting events to entertain the elites of that country, the North Korean regime should focus on the well-being of its own people who have been starved, imprisoned, and denied their human rights.

We have urged the North Korean leadership to heed President Obama's call to choose the path of peace and come into compliance with its international obligations. North Korea's actions, however, directly violate United Nations Security Council resolutions and threaten international peace and security.

Should Obama Take Dennis Rodman's North Korea Trip Seriously? - US News and World Report

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Who's dat fella up onna balcony with Dennis?...

Rodman: I'm going on vacation with Kim in August
Tue March 12, 2013 - Spokesman says Rodman was invited to return during his February trip; Rodman was known for rebounding and colorful hairstyles; He visited North Korea in February, made friends with Kim Jong Un; He says the supreme leader doesn't want to go to war

NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman plans to return to North Korea in August, CNN affiliate KXJB reported Monday. Rodman, who recently visited the communist nation, said he plans to vacation with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "I don't condone what he does, but he's my friend," Rodman told KXJB while in Fargo, North Dakota, for a promotional appearance. Rodman, who was giddy throughout the interview, insisted the North Korean leader doesn't want war.

Rodman on Kim Jong Un: 'He's my friend'

A spokesman for Rodman said Kim extended the offer during Rodman's visit a few weeks ago. Rodman and Kim sat next to each other February 28, watching an unusual basketball exhibition in Pyongyang, North Korea. The visit came at a time of heightened tension between the United States and North Korea, a result of Pyongyang's pursuit of a nuclear program. Kim has made it clear that his country's nuclear test in February signals a new phase of confrontation with the United States, which Pyongyang has described as "the sworn enemy of the Korean people."

On Monday, the North Korean military scrapped the Korean War armistice agreement, according to Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party. Kim is known to be a big basketball fan and one of his favorite players was Chicago Bulls legend, and Rodman teammate, Michael Jordan.

Rodman, 51, was one of the greatest rebounders in NBA history, ranking 11th all-time in average rebounds per game. The defensive star helped the Detroit Pistons and Bulls win five NBA championships. The flamboyant Rodman frequently dyed his hair (sometimes many colors), sported multiple tattoos and facial piercings. One of his autobiographies is "I Should Be Dead By Now."

Rodman: I'm going on vacation with Kim in August - CNN.com

See also:

Dennis Rodman has arrived at the Vatican
March 13, 2013

Dennis "The Diplomat" Rodman has arrived at the Vatican just in time for the eventual election of the successor to Pope Benedict XVI. Rodman, who just returned from his trip to North Korea, his hoping to have a sit down meeting with the new Pope, therefore [probably] becoming the only human in history to meet with the leader of North Korea and the Pope in the same month. Rodman is at the Vatican to promote a black papal candidate.

He arrived in full Loudmouth Golf regalia, which likely raised some eyebrows around Rome.

Source

 

[Katzndogz]

He's now in Rome demanding a black pope.

Dennis Rodman in Rome to promote black papal candidate _ but does he know who he is? - The Washington Post

If there isn't pope diversity the world is racist.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Does anyone take Rodman seriously?


I certainly don't.

 

[Katzndogz]

Last year he was so sick, that he couldn't be expected to pay his child support.

Allegedly broke and ill, Dennis Rodman avoids jail time for now - latimes.com

Through March 1, Rodman, 50, owed $808,935 in back child support for the 9- and 10-year-old children that he had with his third wife, Michelle Rodman, said her attorney, Jack Kayajanian, in court documents.

Rodman also owed $51,441 through March 1 in back spousal support, Kayajanian alleged in court documents.

Michelle Rodman, identified in court papers as a Costa Mesa resident, is also requesting attorneys' fees.

Dennis Rodman's attorney, Linnea Willis, said in court documents that the former Laker is barely capable of paying for his living expenses, let alone the $5,000 he owes for one child from another marriage.

He is "extremely sick" and his marketability is diminishing with age and illness, according to court documents.

"In all honesty, Dennis, although a very sweet person, is an alcoholic," said Peggy Williams, his financial advisor. "His sickness impacts his ability to get work. This case, especially his wife filing for divorce, has put him on a binge that I have never seen before. He is extremely hurt and extremely sick. He is often unable to obtain work because of this sickness. And his sickness is getting increasingly worse."

 

[Misty]

Oh lordy. He is sick from alcoholism? They have several cures. A pill and some surgical procedure.

Who is paying for these trips. The NAACP? Al sharpton? Revey Jackson!

I'm going to do some digging. Got me curious.

 

[Borillar]

Now the crazy loon is in Rome.

 

[Unkotare]

Oh lordy. He is sick from alcoholism? They have several cures. A pill and some surgical procedure.

Who is paying for these trips. The NAACP? Al sharpton? Revey Jackson!

I'm going to do some digging. Got me curious.

North Korea probably paid for it with counterfeit US currency. It's one of their main exports.