Hillary: ‘South Korea Is, Literally, You Know, Within Miles of the Border with N. Korea’

‘They would be so at risk if something were done by Kim Jong-Un’

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Hillary Clinton, while attempting to mock President Trump for his tough approach on North Korea, ended up exposing her own confusion on the Korean Peninsula. 

Clinton, appearing on MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow," was asked about North Korea's latest missile launch. Maddow asked Clinton about her earlier claiming Trump was responsible for Kim Jong-Un's belligerence. 

"One, we know we can't get anything done in this very threatening situation if we don't work with our allies: South Korea, and Japan, and also bring China in," she began. "The president has basically insulted and attacked South Korea."

Then in trying to show her mastery of the subject, she ended up sounding ... uninformed.

"South Korea is literally, you know, within miles of the border with North Korea," the former secretary of State reported.

South Korea, of course, borders North Korea.  

Clinton then continued on with her attack on Trump. 

"Right now we need the best people we can possibly muster to have in full-court press on diplomacy and then we can see realistically where we are," she said. "But this missile test and -- it not clear from early report if it intermediate range or intercontinental ballistic missile -- is sending a message from Kim Jong-Un that he’s not detoured. And that's what I mean about all the tough talk we hear from our president really actually playing into Kim Jong-Un’s hands. That’s what I mean when I say he’s been played."

"And this is a clear and president danger and if it’s allowed to go forward, we will face even worse choices," she added. 

In 2008, Sarah Palin was widely mocked for (accurately) stating Russia can be seen from Russia. 

Here's a transcript:

MADDOW: "North Korea shot another missile over Japan. They did this twice in two and a half weeks now. You have said since you’ve been talking about your book and since people had the chance to talk about current affairs, you said President Trump is being played by Kim Jong-Un, that President Trump is somehow playing into his hand. What do you mean by that?"

HILLARY: “Well I mean a couple things. One, we know we can’t get anything done in this very threatening situation if we don’t work with our allies: South Korea and Japan and also bring China in. The president has basically insulted and attacked South Korea. South Korea is literally, you know, within miles of the border with North Korea. They would be so at risk if something were done by Kim Jong-Un. 

"Japan, which now has, as you said, two missiles flying over it, is going to have to be coaxed into a very intensive diplomatic effort because the alternative for Japan is to say 'We’re going to defend ourselves, we’re not going to sit by and let this happen.' 

"What I’ve been advocating, it not revolutionary, but it's what we need, is intensive diplomacy and upping our missile defense systems, both in South Korea and in Japan. Now that won’t make China happy. They don’t want us to put our THAAD system or advanced missile defense into these two countries, but that should bring them to the table so they are part of making it clear to Kim Jong-Un that there are consequences and the message has to be not he is hysterial, not delivered in a tweet, but very clear and convincing that if you attack our allies or you go after any territory -- be it Guam or any part of the United States, we will have to retaliate and we will do so with devastating consequences. We don’t want to get there. That is not the preferred position. You don’t start with that. You make it clear that’s where, if he does offensive measures against us, we would end up. 

"But here is my big concern, diplomacy with North Korea is complicated. It requires people who know the language, the customs, the history. We have decimated our State Department, foreign service officers with decades of experience have either been ignored or in some cases pushed so hard that they have resigned. Right now we need the best people we can possibly muster to have in full-court press on diplomacy and then we can see realistically where we are. But this missile test and -- it not clear from early report if it intermediate range or intercontinental ballistic missile -- is sending a message from Kim Jong-Un that he’s not detoured. And that's what I mean about all the tough talk we hear from our president really actually playing into Kim Jong-Un’s hands. 

"That’s what I mean when I say he’s been played. And this is a clear and president danger and if it’s allowed to go forward, we will face even worse choices. That the why right now we need smart, diplomatic intervention. If we don’t have it not government, bring in some people from the outside with experience. We have experience diplomats that dealt with North Korea, but this needs to be happening right now and get over the Twitter stuff and get onto the diplomatic negotiations.”

"They would be so at risk if something were done by Kim Jong-Un. Japan, which now has, as you said, two missiles flying over it is going to have to be coaxed into a very intensive diplomatic effort because the alternative for Japan is to say we're going to defend ourselves. We're not going to sit by and let this happen."

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