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Subscribe to RSSUpdated at 11:44 a.m. ET: WASHINGTON -- North Korea agreed on Wednesday to stop nuclear tests, uranium enrichment and long-range missile launches and to allow nuclear inspectors to visit its Yongbyon nuclear complex to verify the moratorium has been enforced.
The announcement, made simultaneously by the U.S. State Department and North Korea's official news agency, paves the way for the possible resumption of six-party disarmament negotiations with Pyongyang and follows talks between U.S. and North Korean diplomats in Beijing last week.
It also marks a significant policy shift by North Korea's reclusive leadership following the death in December of veteran leader Kim Jong-il.
Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton told a Senate hearing that North Korea's suspension of nuclear activities a "modest first step" but also "a reminder that the world is transforming around us."
N. Korea envoy: 'Positive' signs from talks with US
The U.S. still had reservations about North Korea, the State Department said in a statement.
"The United States still has profound concerns regarding North Korean behavior across a wide range of areas, but today’s announcement reflects important, if limited, progress in addressing some of these," it read.
It said Washington reaffirmed that it did not have hostile intentions toward North Korea and was prepared to take steps to improve bilateral ties and increase people-to-people exchanges.
An unidentified spokesman from North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in its statement carried by the state-run news agency that the North agreed to the nuclear moratoriums and the allowance of U.N. inspectors "with a view to maintaining positive atmosphere" for the U.S.-North Korea talks.
'Nutritional assistance'
Clinton also said the U.S. will meet with North Korea to finalize details for a proposed package of 240,000 metric tons of food aid, referring to it as "nutritional assistance." She said intensive monitoring of the aid would be required.
North Korea appealed for food aid a year ago to alleviate chronic shortages.
PhotoBlog: Kim Jong Un: A dictator in the grip of his people?
The surprise announcement was a step forward for Washington's campaign to rein in renegade nuclear programs around the world and comes as the Obama administration steps up pressure on Iran over its atomic ambitions, which western governments fear are aimed at producing nuclear weapons.
Since 2006 North Korea has tested missiles, staged two nuclear tests and unveiled a uranium enrichment program that could give it a second route to manufacture nuclear weapons, in addition to its existing plutonium-based program. At low levels, uranium can be used in power reactors, but at higher levels it can be used in nuclear bombs.
The U.S. still has nearly 30,000 troops based in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, that ended in a armistice rather than a peace treaty.
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Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Msnbc.com stadd, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
Excellent news. Perhaps Lil Kim is not as crazy as his father was.
Let's take it in stride. The time machine that is North Korea has a long way to go to catch up to the world that exists today.
The are going to take the money and keep developing nuclear weapons like they did last time. We are so stupid. I think Pakistan needs more money too so they will love us again.
Yeah, good news... but I'll only believe it once the DMZ is dissolved.
They have a history of doing this and pulling back again after they get some aid. However, the best way to bring down these type of regimes is to continue to educate their kids in foreign schools. This exposes the next generation to outside influences and opens them up to ideas beyond what they get living in a closed society. It is possible that older Kim made his biggest mistake when he sent his kids off to be edumacated at schools outside of NK. Maybe this is the first little move toward normalcy by the new leader. I would still expect a long game of tug-o-war, as there are other factions inside of NK that have influence and will not give up their positions easily.
Have to keep trying, even if you know it's a feint, because what's the alternative? Bad and worse. We've played this dance for decades, the whole point of it at this point is to keep NK from growing so desperate they have nothing left to lose.
zkyser, I couldn't agree more. They know if they want more of our money, they just threaten us and poof, my un -born Grand kids have more debt.
europeforever, Lil Kim is exactly like his psycho Dad. The apple fell real close to the tree this time.
In a related story, McDonald's says they will stop making cheeseburgers.
Yes, you can count on him being a weak inconsequential puppet of the military. But the good ole U.S. is still being stupid, sending millions of dollars to N. Korea in food without any verification of their end of the bargain. They are laughing all the way to the missile silo.
How many times have WE heard that when N.Korea agrees to something, they then do the opposite?
"The State Department said that the United States in return had agreed to finalize details of a proposed food aid package and to take other steps to improve bilateral ties."
Wheeeeee, we are giving the NEW NK leader what he wants to keep doing what he wants, just like his dad did when we paid him off to "comply". Let's see- that was NK providing nuclear weapons support to rogue groups and nations, selling weapons to the same, starving their people and throwing them in prison camps, spending the same "food aid" on their military and starting up more military exercises to threaten SK.
Yeah, this is all great. Kick that can and dammit feel good about it....
This about food...when the N.Koren Army is feed, they will go back to the same old same old...
And the people of the North will go hungry...This is the real crime.
Wonderful...but how about the millions of $100 US bills they print every month. Maybe they could buy food with those instead of weapons and military crap.
Food should be sent ASAP to show that we are interested in further negotiations!
Then tie in food shipments to inspector visits. Inspectors come in, do their thing, and depending on their findings, you send a ship full of rice and medicine. Give them just enough supply to last until the next inspection. Got to keep dangling the prize in front of their face to keep them coming back.
So as long as you're at a nation/state level, you can act like an a**hole year round, then get rewarded for being good a few days out of the year... Santa Claus wouldn't approve of this
"they have been doing this for a long time"
It is a new leader....he hasnt done anything yet! Lets see if he is more civilized, not as crazy as his father. But if he proves to be civilized, and can hold "normal" dialogue...would they then be civilized enough for a nuclear bomb, like the US for example?
The program may be a total failure as others have. However, isn't it amazing what a little diplomacy can do? There will be UN nuclear inspectors in N Korea for the first time since . . . well since G.Dubya. got into office and explained his foreign policy, "YEEHAAAAH!!!".
Well I guess there has to be a starting point if we want to end the madness, right now Iran is a major problem lets hope the new Korean leader is not just a puppet and will make real changes, he is educated and that may help ....
North Korea and trust should never be allowed in the same sentence. All I can think about is two stories/fables from my childhood;
One about a chicken: "The sky is falling, the sky is falling"
and the other about a little boy sheppard: "Wolf, Wolf, Wolf"
Trusting North Korea is like trusting a politician keeping their campaign promises. Just ain't going to frilling happen!
This is a very positive step in the right direction by the North Korean leadership ....... IF they actually follow through with their commitment without the military taking power first...
I think this is called extortion. Has being on the paying end of this ever worked for the U.S. or anybody for that matter? Please take the check book away from Hillary, every time she opens her mouth our money comes out and goes to some other foreign group or another. It's usually to our enemies or soon to be enemies.
SOS...DD!!! I am thinking DD means "Different Despot" in this case, but time will tell.
As I read the headline, my thought was that I hope this doesn't mean we gave in to their extortion attempts again. What a surprise, it only took until the second sentence to confirm my suspicions.
Oh well. I wonder how long it will take them to renege this time. Promise them the world if you must, just don't deliver any of it until AFTER they are in 100% compliance with our demands!
Um, okay, unemployment in the US is sky high, we have people being thrown out on the streets left and right by big banks, we have starving kids right in our own neighborhoods...and they're worried about North Korea? For cryin' out loud TAKE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE FOR ONCE AND STOP PLAYING PARENT TO THE REST OF THE WORLD!!! If North Korea steps out of line, nuke their capital and let South Korea take over from there! There is NO reason whatsoever for us to waste a bunch more money and resources on a dictatorship that is lying through its teeth!
Hmmmm, Mr. Obama's "talk with the enemy" to obtain "peace" looks promising.
However, the "food aid package" should not be released until they are in total compliance with their "nuclear" programs as mentioned by Step in what?!!?!?!? above.
Yep, those International policies of "helping" the Arab Spring rebels have certainly worked. /sarcasm/
I'll believe it when it happens and North Korea follows through!
To quote Ronald Reagan - "Trust, but verify!"
At least we can move the Doomsday Clock back one minute.
i'm with you
Deja Vu, we heard the exact same thing when Clinton was in office, and low and behold they lied. Seems like the North Koreans are playing another patsy in Washington, and no doubt it will have similar results.
If this is true, it'll be interesting to see how N. Korean Military leaders act. It's hard for me to imagine them just suddenly following a policy change like this behind Lil Kim.
It's the cost of the "other steps" that worries me. Both in dollars and in international respect. Paying the extortionists just breeds more extortionists. Kind of like paying Somalian Pirates to release ships and hostages. There are groups in the world that only recognise or respect those that negotiate from a position of strength. They will never respect apologizing, pandering, politicians that have to buy their allies and suppporters (votes).
It sure would be nice to see a peace treaty signed soon. They are wrong about Afghanistan being our longest running war. We've been in a state of war with N. Korea since 1950. It is time to put and end to the threat of hostilities and bring those 30,000 US serve members home. One less overseas contingency operation to worry about.
All right, all right. We all know that they are gonna renig/renege, but................ No credit to the foreign policy at all here??
CM ON righties, BushII walked away from the table!!! Good job by Hillary and the current administration and coalition partners for sticking to their policies despite arguments against them.
Its good to see that we can still afford to buy love.
@MTpolitico
You DO know this is a horrible analogy for this situation, right?? Noone is paying anyone anything. When the North Korean people see and feel the benefit from the proposed aid, the more likely to see that their leaders are not capable of governing properly the more benefits (training, advisement business dealings) they will get, continuing in a cycle to oust their own leaders. May take longer but......
More like feeding the Somali people and training them to feed themselves so that there is NO NEED for Somali pirates at all, would be the better analogy.......
It's amazing what the people here will do anything, to spin this for or against the President. I served in Korea in 1995 and I know even then, the people wanted peace and reunification. But, as we all know and have experienced here, what is best for the people and desired by the masses, isn't what always happens on the political end. In addition my father was there from 51-53. The fact of the matter is, we have 25,000 soldiers sitting on the DMZ and it would sure be great to be able to bring them home, open up a new fort in Arizona and start monitoring the border for illegals crossing over and the war on drugs. You know, like protecting our own people and our own borders. But, of course, the GOP is going to find a way to bash this and turn it into a bad thing. Anything that keeps a nation from amassing nuclear weapons is good not only for the region but, the entire world.We have been tangled up in this web for more than 60 years and it would be great for it to finally end. Either way we will be spending billions either in military spending or in food aid. I agree that it would be great if an international agency would be responsible for dispensing the aid so that it can get to the people and not just the military and those with ties to the government and perhaps this is part of the planning. I don't know about you but, what's written here is all I know. I haven't had a meeting lately with Secretary of State Clinton to discuss this but, there is no doubt that she has done nothing short of a phenomenal job repairing relations with other nations that were completely destroyed by that joke of a President Bush. At least President Obama is really trying to get things done. But, as we all know the GOP is hell bent on allowing anything good to happen so he isn't given any credit or positive accolades. I myself hope and pray that the President is re-elected as the only thing I can see coming out of a GOP victory is more tax cuts for the rich and another President that will work to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. God as my witness, if the GOP wins the White House in November, by 2016 there will probably be no more or very little of the middle class remaining. Is this really what's best for our nation? We already have 50% of our population living in poverty or in the lowest economic class. So many people want to sit and complain that 57% of the US Tax Payers don't pay anything but, when you struggle each day to keep a roof over your head and food on the table, how can they honestly be expected to contribute. Yet ole Mittens sitting there with almost $300 million pays 15% thanks to all the tax breaks and repealing of laws, rules, and regulations that were put in place to keep our nation from going through what we have been experiencing for the past 4 years. This guy has absolutely no idea or concept of what the majority of the people of the USA have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and the rest of us were lucky if we got the cheapest thing money could buy. It's been proven time and again, tax breaks and incentives for the rich and corporations are doing nothing to help the economy. However, the top 3% have seen their personal and corporate wealth increase more than 200%. How can they sit there preaching more tax cuts when our nation is already running incredible deficits each year. Of course, then they sit there and blame the President. Well folks, the President doesn't create the budget for our nation Congress does. You know all those guys who put all those pork barrel projects in to make their buddies richer. The President merely addresses what he feels is best for the nation and signs the thing into law. Perhaps it's the members of Congress that all need the boot!!!
You mean the kind of trust like when The US wanted inspections in Iraq to confirm no WMD's or else we would use military force and the international team went into Iraq and they kept advising that there were NO WMD's but the Bush adminstration along with Great Britain went in anyway?
Let's not be deluded once again. The North Korean crazies have entered such agreements numerous times in the past to get what they want from the west. They have also broken every one of these agreements once they've got what they bargained for. This time will be no different.
Different Kim, same result.
@ Old Sarge
Sadly, even a peace treaty wouldn't bring all 30,000 troops home. The U.S. wants to keep a strong military presence in that region so we don't look week in the eyes of China. Didn't we recently station 3,000 marines in Australia for that purpose?
Definitely a starting point, but to end the madness would mean to not start it! Iran is a media piece, and full of propaganda and lies....remember Iraq! Iran is no threat....It was even disclosed....but that is not "shoved" down out throats by the media, because it does nothing for the ratings...Just the other day, it was disclosed that the US Govt does NOT believe Iran has bombs and that even in the near future it will not....however, our "news" repeatedly claims Iran wants to "destroy civilization"...quick hide under your desk! Cmon....Israel has their own bombs, nuclear program (Dimona) and agenda as well.....there are always two sides. We are being played!
The only "foreign policy" I see being demonstrated here is one of cow-towing to extortionists. I will absolutely NOT give ANY credit for doing that, EVER!!! The only possible way I would go along with this is AFTER having 100% verified compliance. The North Koreans have a history of talking out of their asses and to expect anything different now puts whoever does so squarely in the "damn fools" category! Based on this history, the only reasonable policy to take with them is one of "never trust, only verify".
Will the usa give me a few billion dollars if I promise that I will stop making abombs?
As much as I might like to believe this...
We've been here before, and no doubt, will be playing this game yet again in the future.
It's simply a game for the NK's.... a means to an end, what ever end that they have in mind.
I won't be holding my breath, as the color blue is too unbecoming! :)
Step-in: If you're going to regurgitate Limbaugh's talking points, perhaps you should run them through the spell-check first? NK is agreeing to our demands - that's not kowtowing.
Taking this with a total grain- before long they'll go into some 'talks' and everything will melt down with N Korea threatening WWIII or something crazy. Same as it always has been.
Hey Unbelievable, (1.34) Do you really think the people of North Korea will be told the food came from the USA? You need to get a clue. The people (other than military and Party stooges) will be lucky to receive the food aid at all. It will be left up to the North Korean army to distribute the food. You won't see any US or UN trucks driving to the villages in North Korea, ever. That wouldn't serve the Dear Leaders Beloved image now would it? North Korean Govt, Somalie Pirates, same criminal element. Extortionists that use violence and threats to get what they want.
One cannot move forward with confidence by only looking backward. It is of course advisable to use past deceits as lessons learned, but inasmuch as nothing that has happened before this moment can be changed, it would be foolhardy to eliminate the opportunity to change the future by insisting that nothing will ever change in North Korea based upon past performance.
President Ronald Reagan used to use the phrase "trust but verify", as regarded communications and negotiations with the former Soviet Union. And the fact that we now refer to it as "the former" Soviet Union is poignant.
This might also be a good approach with the recently changed leadership of North Korea. And if an opportunity for the West to achieve its goals exists, no matter how challenging, it is something we need to pursue in the best interests of the entire world (which would by default include the long suffering citizens of North Korea).
This is far too important an issue to interject American political partisanship into the mix. Let's stop the negative rhetoric and support the non-political career professionals in the US State Department as it struggles to make forward progress opposite an historically implacable foe.
Getting into agreement with NK is akind of being a sucker, how many times the US is getting suckered by the NK's. Apparently USA never learns, donkeys and elephants are shortsighted to be negotiators. Once the food is delivered, NK will go back as before demanding more. We should agree that NK backers, China and Russia feed Nk population, after all those 2 backed NK nuke programs. If NK have money for nukes, certainly they should have money for food, take a good look of the most fattest pig, bloated Kim J U and his uncle are in NK, you will think he need more food? The food US deliver will revert to NK military personel not it's civilians. China and Russia are laughing and stroking NK's back and tell "you doing good lil Kim, keep it up and let the US feed you "
We engaged North Korea and they gave us a pregnant "lightning Bug". Let's all hope we can keep the little sucker alive until She births a swarm.
Q Why wouldn't N Korea be able to fight a war?
A They have no food for the army, so let's give them some.
If they want food, have them open their borders and start to trade, build up an economy, and let the people feed themselves.
@john-737278 I would wager that they would do pretty good too! They have a ton of cheap labor to draw on.
Yep, you got me on that one, it is kowtowing and not cow-towing. You need a tractor or a truck for that. I guess I shouldn't have gotten in such a hurry while taking a break at work. As for Limbaugh's talking points, I'll have to take your word for that as, unlike you (obviously), I never listen to him. I think he is on the air while I am at work, although I really don't know since I don't listen to any talk radio. However, it is a very logical observation.
Also, at this point NK is only saying the will meet our demands, which they have said many times before without following through. As such, I will stick to what I said...Based on this history, the only reasonable policy to take with them is one of "never trust, only verify".
The North Koreans have simply moved their most efficient centrifuges to an ultra secret underground facility. The US should not be taken in for the fourth or fifth time. The first question should be, "Where is the plutonium?" And the second is, "Where are ALL of your enrichment facilities?"
Food aid MUST be tied to compliance. For once Ronald Reagan got it dead right, "Trust, but verify." In this case it has to be, "We do not believe a bucken word you say, but if you let the IAE inspectors go EVERYWHERE, then maybe you'll get some food aid. The North Koreans are like the Pakkis, congenital liars, and the US needs to wipe any smirk off their faces before they get to the trough.
I wouldn't care if we (hopefully as part of the global community) ARE paying NK to abandon its' nuclear program, a less hostile and dangerous North Korea should be in every sane person's best interests !!
This is good news and exactly what I hoped might occur when Lil' Kim, III came to power in the wake of his father, Lil' Kim, Jr.'s passing. Of course, if these encouraging words aren't followed up with legitimate action we'll be right back where we've been so many times before, dealing with an Asian menace.
'cough'
They already have a few bombs, stopping their enrichment is not enough, it does next to nothing to solve the Korean peninsula problem. If they would have said, here come and take our weapons and then rigorously inspect all you like to verify we don't have anymore, that would have been progress.
Another stall tactic to get food and supplies from the international community perhaps? We shall see.
If we are to believe history, and believe that the son is anything like the father, this is just another sad attempt to take advantage of the world's generosity while advancing a dictatorship.
Who let them GET the bombs?
Our good Pakistani friends taught them how to build them. Great "allies" aren't they?
Pakistan and other rogue elements but I fail to see the relevance? Please explain.
not the international community, the USA.
This is some good news, but I have to wonder who is pulling Un's strings?
China. Duh.
Anyone who knows the history of Korea should recognize the reason for this dance. Prior to the Korean War in which the US was involved, Korea had the same problems in the past it has today: feeding the enormous population. Much of Korean leadership fear stems from its historical epochs of starvation of its people. Korean leaders, post Korean War, believed losing that war pronounced upon their country a mantle of failure and loss of national pride among those in the international community. Gaining access to powerful nuclear arms restored that sense of national pride.
This is why under Kim Jong Il, there were never ending displays of its military prowess in parades and such.
Quick answers to diplomatic problems with foreign countries don't won't. Only studying their histories can increase understanding of their true motivations. How many in the US are aware of the mass starvation Koreans endured for generations? This wasn't due to laziness or lack of initiative. It was due to mass poverty and inability to sustain reliable sources of food.
Thus, Korean leaders live in fear of another era of mass starvation which only increases their need for power.
It's well-known that currently North Korea experiences regular famines.
NORTH Koreans live in fear of mass starvation. The south is fine, as it has regular trade and access to markets. Although I'm not sure why you or anyone would think that the solution to famine is military might.
I didn't realize the North Koreans lost the war. I seem to recal them (with Chinas help) fighting to a draw. Technically the two Koreas are still at war. Granted the leaders live in fear as most despotic governments do. For the time being though they still seem to have their feet firmly planted on the throats of their citizens. The citizens are fed unending propoganda blaming the West for their starvation. They are fed hatred and lies, not the food donated by the US. That food goes to the Party stooges and military.
We bought some time with rice. How clever.
I'm sure the people in the region appreciate it. Pretty cheap price for avoiding nuclear war in South east Asia, for a little while anyway.
Is there anything President Obama can't do??? This is incredible! (if they stick to their word....)
Yes, here are a few he can't/won't do:
Lower the national debt
Get unemployment under 8%
Lower the deficits
Stop Iran from pursuing nuclear capability
Pass tax reform
Move towards energy independence
Sooooooo, he basically can't complete the job description for the President of the United States.
Oh, and hopefully he can't win re-election as well.
KnowNukes said it all.....................
To be fair, neither could George W. Bush, but that's besides the point.
Well President Obama did do a few things....
1. Ordered all federal agencies to undertake a study and make recommendations for ways to cut spending
2. Ordered a review of all federal operations to identify and cut wasteful spending and practices
3. Instituted enforcement for equal pay for women
4. Beginning the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq
5. Families of fallen soldiers have expenses covered to be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB
6 Ended media blackout on war casualties; reporting full information
7. Ended media blackout on covering the return of fallen soldiers to Dover AFB; the media is now permitted to do so pending adherence to respectful rules and approval of fallen soldier’s family
8. The White House and federal government are respecting the Freedom of Information Act
9. Instructed all federal agencies to promote openness and transparency as much as possible
10. Limits on lobbyist’s access to the White House
11. Limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration
12. Ended the previous stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date
13. Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons systems, which weren’t even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan
14. Removed restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research
15. Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research
16. New federal funding for science and research labs
17. States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards
18. Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants) after years of neglect
19. Funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools
20. New funds for school construction
21 The prison at Guantanamo Bay is being phased out
22. US Auto industry rescue plan
23. Housing rescue plan
24. $789 billion economic stimulus plan
25. The public can meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (the new plan can be completed in one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble paying
26. US financial and banking rescue plan
27. The secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere are being closed
28. Ended the previous policy; the US now has a no torture policy and is in compliance with theGeneva Convention standards
29. Better body armor is now being provided to our troops
30. The missile defense program is being cut by $1.4 billion in 2010
31. Restarted the nuclear nonproliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols
32. Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic
33. Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions
34. Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any president in his first six months in office
35. Successful release of US captain held bySomali pirates; authorized the SEALS to do their job
36. US Navy increasing patrols off Somali coast
37. Attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles
38. Cash for clunkers program offers vouchers to trade in fuel inefficient, polluting old cars for new cars; stimulated auto sales
39. Announced plans to purchase fuel efficient American-made fleet for the federal government
40. Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children
41. Signed national service legislation; expandednational youth service program
42. Instituted a new policy on Cuba, allowing Cuban families to return home to visit loved ones
43. Ended the previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions
44. Expanding vaccination programs
45. Immediate and efficient response to the floods in North Dakota and other natural disasters
46. Closed offshore tax safe havens
47. Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals
48. Ended the previous policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who outsource American jobs; the new policy is to promote in-sourcing to bring jobs back
49.. Ended the previous practice of protecting credit card companies; in place of it are new consumer protections from credit card industry’s predatory practices
50. Energy producing plants must begin preparing to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources
51. Lower drug costs for seniors
52. Ended the previous practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug manufacturers for cheaper drugs; the federal government is now realizing hundreds of millions in savings
53. Increasing pay and benefits for military personnel
54. Improved housing for military personnel
55. Initiating a new policy to promote federal hiring of military spouses
56. Improved conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and other military hospitals
57 Increasing student loans
58. Increasing opportunities in AmeriCorps program
59. Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been neglected for years; reengaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy
60. Established a new cyber security office
61. Beginning the process of reforming and restructuring the military 20 years after the Cold War to a more modern fighting force; this includes new procurement policies, increasing size of military, new technology and cyber units and operations, etc.
62. Ended previous policy of awarding no-bid defense contracts
63. Ordered a review of hurricane and natural disaster preparedness
64. Established a National Performance Officer charged with saving the federal government money and making federal operations more efficient
65. Students struggling to make college loan payments can have their loans refinanced
66. Improving benefits for veterans
67. Many more press conferences and town halls and much more media access than previous administration
68. Instituted a new focus on mortgage fraud
69. The FDA is now regulating tobacco
70. Ended previous policy of cutting the FDA and circumventing FDA rules
71. Ended previous practice of having White House aides rewrite scientific and environmental rules, regulations, and reports
72. Authorized discussions with North Korea and private mission by Pres. Bill Clinton to secure the release of two Americans held in prisons
73. Authorized discussions with Myanmar and mission by Sen. Jim Web to secure the release of an American held captive
74. Making more loans available to small businesses
75. Established independent commission to make recommendations on slowing the costs of Medicare
76. Appointment of first Latina to the Supreme Court
77. Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care for veterans
78. Limited salaries of senior White House aides; cut to $100,000
79. Renewed loan guarantees for Israel
80. Changed the failing/status quo military command in Afghanistan
81. Deployed additional troops to Afghanistan
82. New Afghan War policy that limits aerial bombing and prioritizes aid, development of infrastructure, diplomacy, and good government practices by Afghans
83. Announced the long-term development of a national energy grid with renewable sources and cleaner, efficient energy production
84. Returned money authorized for refurbishment of White House offices and private living quarters
85. Paid for redecoration of White House living quarters out of his own pocket
86. Held first Seder in White House
87. Attempting to reform the nation’s healthcare system which is the most expensive in the worl
True, but so did G.W. Bush when looked at from a different perspective. The link is here. It's all a matter of perspective, of which, there are many.
88. Seeks every way possible to give amnesty to illegals and fails to enforce current laws going so far as to file lawsuits against states that try to enforce existing federal laws.
He's still better than the alternative, but I speak as a liberal. Obama disappoints me, the alternative scares the @!$%# out of me.
Den - there's no federal law requiring anyone to carry their papers proving citizenship (nor, I hope, is there ever likely to be). So no, that's not what Arizona is doing. At all. Regulating immigration is a power vested in the Federal Government by the Constitution.
obvious typo....should read "is there anything President Obama can do"? Basically, what he does best is take credit for the actions of others. I guess he'll get a Peace Prize for this one?
You mean like every other President takes credit for the results of the people working in his Administration? Just like they are blamed when someone @!$%#s up? So it goes. You take the good, you take the bad.
lololololol

lolololololololololololololololol Someone is angry that he has to pick from Santorum or Romney! lololololol I would be mad to lolololololololol Or maybe Newt will save you lololololol
With the forum name of "Pissedoffperson" and your recent posts it seems like you are the angry one.
nice long list....I wonder how much of it will hold up to snopes.....I'll get back to you in a few weeks
only the unibomber's manifesto was longer
Any of them are 10 times better than the dumb @$$ we have in office now atleast they all believe in the US and the american way of life unfortunatly there are still people like you that cant see the hatered that are current pres. has for this country who's the DUMB @$$ now.
Your list is a short one when you compare it to his failures.
"you that cant see the hatered that are current pres. has for this country"
There is more channels then Fox my man Turn the channel once in a while.
I read posts by people like "pissed off person" and I read them again, then I read them again.
Tried, started, began, ended and another 60 pieces of his opinion.
Certainly we should have gotten some value for the trillion dollar a year deficits, every year,
health, yes indeed lets talk about he 468 billion he cut out of medicare to give free insurance to his voter base.
I see you neglected to mention his stealing from the SS program to give election year 20 $ a week increases.'It will be interesting, hopefully we will get to watch you when it comes time for you to utilize those programs.
Wow There is a lot of Fox news cronies in here today , Dont Hate !! President Obama is doing a good Job and no one wants to give him credit. The polls are moving his approval higher and higher because he is doing a good Job and you are not happy about it. He may not be perfect but he is doing a good job and once again , Dont hate!!! Good Luck in 2016!!!
Really, Obama doing a good job..... Smoking crack again hey Pissedoffperson, the only good job Obama is doing is making sure the corporations are keeping to their agendas. He went back on his word about keeping feds out of Medical patients, he spent million if not billions on this so called universal health care???? He allowed pharmaceutics companies to push out more pills....
Turn the channel once in a while, You sound just like an episode of Fox and Friends!! I suppose he is also cooking the books on employment numbers? 13000 Dow, More private sector jobs in over 10 yrs and GM is #1. Iraq is over and Afghanistan is drawing to a close. HCR is helping millions and all you have to say is fox talking points. lololololololololol Try again!!!
If President Obama is doing such a terrible job why didn't the republican offer more then Romney, Santorum and Newt. Republicans dont even want to vote for one of these losers. I suppose that the Gallop polls are lying also about this and the polls that support these claims are another fake put out by the Obama administration. Where are the GOP heavy hitters? Waiting for 2016 where they might have a chance since the GOP is currently in a war with 1/2 of the population. Sure that will get you votes ! lololololololol Birth control really? Every 4 yrs the GOP has the same things to complain about, Abortion, Gay Marriage and voter fraud! Not Jobs or infrastructure but social issues. Good luck in 2016!, you will need it!
A nice long list indeed. Sadly, very little of it actually fixes any problems.
Three large mistakes have been made.
1) Obama deferred to Democrats in Congress on the writing of his fiscal stimulus. He fought for a big total, but he paid much less attention to what was included in the total. The predictable result: a stimulus that most economists condemn as very poorly designed.
2) Obama failed to mobilize the Federal Reserve to support his fiscal stimulus.
3) Obama bet his presidency on the best-case scenario.
That last point...well, everybody remember the summer of 2010? VP Biden's "summer of recover"? Looking back on it, it kind of sounds like a joke.
lolololololo You guys lololololololol , Haters will hate lololololo
I guess this news is better than the alternative, a NK that's unwilling to even talk.
And this fool obama will give the food 1st then expect them to do their part, how naive.
Where exactly did you read that. It's contingent on the findings of UN inspectors.
Dave "Stupid" is your middle name!
Maybe talking to others can produce results.
It will not matter.... the GOP is hot for more wars.... Korea and the Middle East are in their sights.... I can just hear FOX News tonight... OBAMA sells us out again.... well guys... the American Public has seen the last three years who gets it done and who talks... and the GOP is toast.....
This is a start and perhaps it may have an impact on what Iran decides to do.
What have you been smoking?
...and the check is in the mail.................
Don't worry, I will pull out first.............
Sure, I'll call you in the morning.
We've heard this many times before. N Korea gets the food (or whatever else was promised) and then starts hassling the UN inspectors and all bets are off.
What a surprise, Kim Jong-Un will do anything for food.
Why does Obama continue to make the US safer against longstanding national threats? The republicans say he will make the US less safe. What should I believe, rhetoric or results?
Not to agree or disagree with the Republicans, but North Korea isn't a plausible threat to anything but America's stress level.
So, what "bone" can we throw to conservatives in this country to get them to cooperate?
Obama to pull a LBJ moment ala 1968...
I will not run, I will not seek and I will not accept the nomination of POTUS.
Good start,now free your people, open your borders so families can be reunited.and commerce and trade can begin to grow.
Maybe a pipe dream now,but the world would surely be a better place if this happened.
Again, America gets to borrow money in order to send free food to a hostile country all in the name of nuclear peace. Anybody else see what is totally wrong with this picture? It's one thing to offer aid in a humanitarian situation such as a natural disaster, but this is just plain wrong. The American public is nothing more than a prisoner of our own stupidity by trying to think that we can buy peace across the whole globe. I sure pray that the American public can do the right thing here in this next election and quit supporting the entire globe at the expense of the American taxpayers. I can pretty much guarantee you that nobody is going to come to America's aid when we file bankruptcy.....
We've bought it for 50 years.
It's a better way to spend our resources than trying to buy peace and the end of a gun, with the live's of our young.
The administration came to a mutual agreement with the North Koreans - WE AGREED TO GIVE THEM BILLIONS IN AID AND THEY AGREED TO TAKE IT.
They've said this before and broke too many promises. No aid until verification. Additionally UN distributes the aid. Previous aid went to military or sold for hard currency.
WOW...guess sanctions may work after all…. I wonder how the right will spin this or take credit?
No spin required, just review N koreas actions since 1953. Then review how well sanctions worked in cuba since the 60's and iran since the 70's. I am sure that sanctions worked somewhere, just don't recall when.
Yeah, the sanctions helped them buy enough time to build their bomb. Now we are doing the same thing with Iran, except Israel isn't going to let that happen.
This is much better than an escalating nuclear war.
The 2012 GOP / Tea Bag Prez hopefuls and neocon / teabag congressional nutcase psychos will be along shortly to blame Obama for not waging war on North Korea.
The food will go to The military and Government related people......No telling what else the Obomination regime is giving them; probably cash........
All this time, I thought North Kores was our ally. Didn't sister Sarah say they were? I KNOW she wouldn't lie about something that important. ;-P
The U.S. would feed the North Korean military and attack South Korea ....
What again???!!!How many times did North Korea promise something then break it??? Who is the hen and who is the fox here?
Oh shame on you , you cynic you.
Liberals either have no long-term memory or are the most naive people on the planet. Or maybe it's a little of both when it involves Obama. I kinda feel sorry for these people... They are so infatuated with Obama that they grasp at any little "accomplishment" of his and tout it as the greatest thing ever. I can't tell you how many times N Korea said this exact same thing under Bush. People were cynical then as they should be now.
Today, you right wing wackos are crying in your beer because Obama pulled off another good one for the USA. I cannot wait to hear the ugly spin that your three candidates will put on this good news.
We are cynical now, but you clearly have no understanding of why agreements like this are reached. No one expects this to end our problems with NK. We expect it to avert a humanitarian and military crisis without having to shoot at someone, for a couple years at least. What else can we possibly do, the alternatives are @!$%#. It's how we've managed for 5 decades. Rice and grain are a cheap price to pay. We have food a plenty.
BOB RAMOS-- Are you democrats so desperate for good news that you will try to pretend this is anything new or different , this is replay on what they have done for 50 years.
C/mon, Bob, you can do better than this.
Don't you mean the 3 Stooges?