Bush to North Korea: âBring It Onâ
Former U.S. President George W. Bush has challenged North Koreaâs government and military to âBring it onâ and face the wrath of the United States, echoing a similar challenge he made to militants during the Iraq War. Bushâs comment comes amid increased tension on the Korean peninsula, as the North Korean government has prepared more tests of its nuclear and ballistic missile program while making aggressive threats against the United States, South Korea and Japan. North Korea, led by Kim Jong-un, is believed to have more than 1,000 missiles, including long-range missiles that could strike the United States. Bush â who labeled North Korea as part of an âAxis of Evilâ during his presidency â was asked his thoughts about North Korea and Kim Jong-un during a recent interview with the Dallas-Fort Worth News-Register. âMake no mistake about it, and the North Koranians (sic) shouldnât make any mistake about it, America has the greatest military in the world, and Americans will do whatever it takes if weâre threatened. Just ask Saddam Hussein. âSo my answer to Kim John-un (sic) and his aggression is, âBring it on.â Weâre not scared of you or your nucular (sic) missiles. We beat you once and we can do it again.â Bushâs comment was swiftly condemned by White House and government officials. âThis is not the tone we wish to set with North Korea as we work with our allies in the region to resolve this crisis,â said a spokesman for the U.S. State Department. âWeâre trying to avert a war and protect ourselves and our allies, not start a pissing match with a spoiled manchild dictator.â Back It Off Bush said âBring them onâ in 2003 during the Iraq War when he claimed the U.S. military was strong enough to deal with any violent attacks from militants. Bushâs comment was widely criticized at the time as irresponsible, macho posturing as militants were increasing their violent attacks on U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Bush later said he regretted the comment. Since leaving office in 2008, Bush has largely kept out of the national spotlight, save for a surprising Â turn last monthÂ when he apologized to the American people for the Iraq War , saying it was his "biggest mistakeâ as president. But in his interview Bush appears to be entering a new, more assertive phase of his post-presidency. "If he wants a piece of America, I say we give it to him," he said, "and that goes for all those little Asian countries. China? Pakistan? Nepal? If anyone f**ks with us, I say we f**k with them right back. "That's just basic eye-for-an-eye Old Testament diplomacy. ItÂ workedÂ for my presidency."