North Korea Escalates; Tillerson Utterly Fails Diplomatic Test in Response

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Joshua Berlinger, Barbara Starr, and Paula Hancocks at CNN: North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile as Trump, Xi Prepare to Meet.

Ahead of the first meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korea fired a ballistic missile off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, US and South Korean officials said.

The missile—which fell into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, on Wednesday morning—is one of several the country has test-fired in recent months.

Even before the missile test, North Korea's nuclear program was expected to be an important talking point between Xi and Trump.

The United States has been pushing China to put pressure on North Korea to stop its nuclear program and missile testing, but Trump said on Sunday the United States would be prepared to act alone to stop North Korea.

...A senior White House official on Tuesday said: "The clock has now run out, and all options are on the table," pointing to the failure of successive administrations' efforts to negotiate an end to the country's nuclear program.

So, basically, the Trump administration's posture at this point is that: 1. They are ready to go to war with North Korea, if they deem it necessary. 2. If China doesn't do something, the U.S. will. 3. It's Obama's fault.

That sounds very much to me like an administration that wants to go to war, and is looking for excuses and justifications. Chilling.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson responded last night to the North Korean ballistic missile launch by issuing this statement:

👀 This is Rex Tillerson's statement on North Korea's missile launch pic.twitter.com/S2xAgZAGlX

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) April 4, 2017

If you can't view the image in the tweet, it a screencap of Tillerson's complete statement, which reads: "North Korea launched yet another intermediate range ballistic missile. The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment."

That's it. That is the real statement from the United States Secretary of State.

This "we're not going to dignify that with a response" response is wildly inappropriate. Kim Jong Un didn't call Trump a poopyhead on the playground; he launched a missile.

Our top diplomat cannot respond to North Korean aggression with: "We're done talking about that."

"Hard pass" isn't a diplomatic option.

— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) April 5, 2017

Tillerson's statement is, quite genuinely, one of the most incredible things I've ever seen in U.S. politics, which is really saying something.

We are being ruled by reckless, dangerous men. I am legitimately fearful about where this is going to lead.