Conventional wisdom holds that the Libya Deal, while it seemed to start out well, ultimately damaged U.S. credibility with countries like Iran and North Korea, in negotiating a curtailment of their nuclear programs. But neither Bolton’s interpretation, nor the conventional wisdom reflect the reality of why the Libya deal is - or is not - a model for dealings with North Korea. As Gordon Gray, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, tweeted on April 30, “Libya hardly had a nuclear weapons program. Within two years of the deal, Gaddafi took to complaining, incessantly, that he gave up nuclear weapons and got nothing much in return. By credibly threatening to flatten Benghazi, Gaddafi made it easy for the United States to turn on him.

Source: Forbes May 05, 2018 00:00 UTC