Al-Sisi: Cairo to host Gaza reconstruction conference in November    PM Madbouly chairs meeting on public-private partnerships in tourism    Egypt launches project to upgrade export environment, streamline port procedures    Gulf investors turn to Egypt's real estate market as strategic gateway for growth    At Aswan Forum, Egypt's FM urges reform of UN Security Council, finance bodies    Tensions rise in Gaza as Israel violates ceasefire agreement    Egypt, WHO sign cooperation strategy to strengthen health system through 2028    EHA, Arab Hospitals Federation discuss cooperation on AI, sustainable healthcare    Egypt's FM joins Sahel region roundtable at Aswan Forum    Egypt successfully hosts Egyptian Amateur Open golf championship with 19-nation turnout    Africa can lead global recovery, Egypt's Sisi tells Aswan Forum    From Impression to Analysis: What International Performance Indicators Reveal about Egypt    Egyptian pound edges up slightly against dollar in Sunday midday trading    Supply Minister: No change in subsidised bread price amid diesel hike    Health ministers adopt 'Cairo Call to Action' to tackle breast cancer across Eastern Mediterranean    Egypt, India hold first strategic dialogue to deepen ties    Egypt: Guardian of Heritage, Waiting for the World's Conscience    Egypt, Qatar sign MoU to boost cooperation in healthcare, food safety    Egypt, UK, Palestine explore financing options for Gaza reconstruction ahead of Cairo conference    Egypt will never relinquish historical Nile water rights, PM says    Al Ismaelia launches award-winning 'TamaraHaus' in Downtown Cairo revival    Al-Sisi, Burhan discuss efforts to end Sudan war, address Nile Dam dispute in Cairo talks    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile actions, calls for global water cooperation    Egypt unearths one of largest New Kingdom Fortresses in North Sinai    Egypt unearths New Kingdom military fortress on Horus's Way in Sinai    Egypt Writes Calm Anew: How Cairo Engineered the Ceasefire in Gaza    Egypt's acting environment minister heads to Abu Dhabi for IUCN Global Nature Summit    Egyptian Open Amateur Golf Championship 2025 to see record participation    Cairo's Al-Fustat Hills Park nears completion as Middle East's largest green hub – PM    El-Sisi boosts teachers' pay, pushes for AI, digital learning overhaul in Egypt's schools    Syria releases preliminary results of first post-Assad parliament vote    Karnak's hidden origins: Study reveals Egypt's great temple rose from ancient Nile island    Egypt resolves dispute between top African sports bodies ahead of 2027 African Games    Egypt aims to reclaim global golf standing with new major tournaments: Omar Hisham    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







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Inside Washington: Acts and scenes
Published in Al-Ahram Weekly on 09 - 11 - 2017


Denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula
A ground invasion is the only way to locate and destroy North Korea's nuclear arsenal, the Pentagon told lawmakers in a letter reflecting its assessment of a possible war on the Korean peninsula. The assessment also mentioned that “North Korea may consider the use of biological weapons” and that the country “has a long-standing chemical weapons programme with the capability to produce nerve, blister, blood and choking agents.”
The letter, written by Rear Admiral Michael J Dumont, the vice director of the Pentagon's Joint Staff, was released in response to a request for information from two House members about “expected casualty assessments in a conflict with North Korea.” It was published just as President Trump was starting his 12-day trip to Asia. Before the trip, National Security Adviser General H R McMaster told reporters that one of the major goals of Trump's visit to Asia will be to rally allies to pursue the “complete, verifiable and permanent denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.” The Pentagon in its assessment noted the possibility of “opposition from China or Russia,” and mentioned that both “Russia or China may prefer to avoid conflict with the United States, or possibly cooperate with us.”
According to a recent report by the Congressional Research Service it was estimated that as many as 25 million people on either side of the border, including more than 100,000 US citizens, could be affected by a war on the Korean peninsula.
Recalling what was said before by President Trump on North Korea and its leader Kim Jong Un, the US president's language and rhetoric is attracting the close attention of media and politicians during this Asia trip, which includes Japan, China, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.
House of Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) issued a statement on the Asia trip last Friday, November 3rd, the day the President started his travels. “This trip is an important opportunity to strengthen America's critical role in the region – from supporting security partnerships and democracies to calling out human rights abusers to encouraging trade alliances,” chairman Royce said, continuing: “The president must reiterate our commitment to changing North Korea's behaviour through financial pressure and hard diplomacy. The Kim regime is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons capable of striking all 50 US states. Now is the time to totally isolate the Kim regime, and cut off the hard currency it needs to sustain its rule and fund its weapons programmes. This means compelling China, North Korea's largest trading partner, to fully cooperate.”
Questioning Silicon Valley
Last week, Congress started to question and definitely grilled the tech giants. Representatives of Facebook, Twitter and Google were on Capitol Hill for three Congressional hearings over two days, during which they were questioned about Russian meddling on social media in the 2016 elections. The CEOs of these three tech giants were absent from these hearings; they sent instead their legal representatives. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) expressed his displeasure at this tactic, saying, “I'm disappointed that you're here and not your CEOs, because we're talking about policies and policies of the companies. . .  If we go through this exercise again, we would appreciate seeing the top people who are actually making the decision.”
As was expected, the senators appeared skeptical that tech companies are doing enough now to combat fake news and hate messages on their platforms in the future. Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, blamed those tech companies for Russian interference. “You bear this responsibility,” she said. “You've created these platforms.” During these hearings Facebook disclosed that 146 million Americans may have seen Russian-linked ads or content on its platforms ahead of the 2016 election. Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas wondered why WikiLeaks was able to operate “uninhibited” on Twitter. “Is it bias to side with America over our adversaries?” Cotton asked. “We're trying to be unbiased around the world,” Twitter's acting general counsel, Sean Edgett, answered. Edgett continued, “We're obviously an American company and care deeply about the issues we're talking about today, but as it relates to WikiLeaks or other accounts like it, we make sure they are in compliance with our policies just like every other account.”
Commenting on the larger issue, Emily Parker, a fellow at the think tank New America, wrote in New York Times on 2 November: “Some of the Russian propaganda on social media was cribbed from content that was posted by Americans. Yes, social media helps propaganda spread farther and faster. But Facebook and Twitter didn't force users to share misinformation. Are Americans so easily duped? Or more alarming, did they simply believe what they wanted to believe?” Parker concluded: “Social media platforms magnify our bad habits, even encourage them, but they don't create them. Silicon Valley isn't destroying democracy — only we can do that.”


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