Washington, D.C. — August 30, 2017 — In response to President Trump’s tweet that talking with North Korea “is not the answer,” followed by Secretary of Defense James Mattis’ statement that “we’re never out of diplomatic solutions,” Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement:
“One day after stating that ‘all options are on the table,’ the president has apparently changed his mind and decided to push diplomacy, the only viable option, off the table. No one should assume this is reverse psychology at work or some sly strategy to confuse an adversary. This is an impulsive president with the diplomatic prowess of a toddler elevating the risk of a war that could cost millions of lives.
“Secretary Mattis openly and directly contradicting the president underscores just how dire this situation is. Mattis is effectively hazarding his position in the administration in order to ensure the possibility for productive dialogue with North Korea remains open.”
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Founded in 1957, Peace Action (formerly SANE/Freeze), the United States’ largest peace and disarmament organization, with over 100,000 paid members and nearly 100 chapters in 36 states, works to abolish nuclear weapons, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights and support nonmilitary solutions to international conflicts. The public may learn more and take action at http://www.PeaceAction.org.
