Trump’s Korea mission parallels Habibie’s East Timor plan
bilateral talks with Kim at the world’s last Cold War frontier, the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).
Trump gave an unimaginable gift to Kim – an invitation to visit the White House “anytime he wants to do it”.
It seems now Trump is less demanding over his long-standing prerequisite, that only after the North totally abandons its nuclear programme will Washington ask the UN Security Council this year and has made several manoeuvres to win the hearts of the Nobel Committee members.
Upon Trump’s request, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a fivepage “beautiful” letter to the Nobel Committee in Oslo, promoting Trump as candidate for this year’s prize.
Trump is not ashamed to acknowledge it, although Abe has refused to comment. Iranian leaders that it is only he who can end the nuclear crisis and therefore they should follow Kim’s path if they want the harsh economic sanctions against the Islamic republic to be removed.
The Iranian nuclear issue, however, is much more complicated than that of North Korea, but the problem is Trump apparently does not care about this.
Trump and Kim first met in Singapore on June 12 last year, followed up by their second encounter in Hanoi on February 27 to 28 this year.
No substantial progress in relation to the nuclear talks has been achieved in their historic tete-a-tete meetings.
But strangely their chemistry is getting stronger.
For one, however, the peace talks, initiated by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, are an incredible achievement, although the target is now shifting to deeper personal relations and trust building between Trump and Kim, as well as between Kim and Moon.
Within just one year, the tension on the Korean Peninsula has changed dramatically as many unimaginable events unlike normal diplomatic practices have taken place.
Habibie failed to realise his bid for presidency although he paved East Timor’s way for liberation.
Let’s see if Trump achieves his Nobel dream and his reelection ambition.