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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 3 OcTOber 2017
Trump hails stronger Thailand ties as he meets junta leader

By MAT PENNINGTON Under Trump, the U.S. has
Associated Press looked to resume high-lev-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mak- el ties and authorize more
ing no reference to Thai- arms sales.
land’s military rule, Presi- A U.S. National Security
dent Donald Trump on Council spokesman, who
Monday hailed strengthen- was not authorized to
ing relations with America’s speak publicly on planning
oldest ally in Asia as he wel- for the visit and requested
comed a junta leader who anonymity, said the U.S. will
took power in a coup. continue to urge Thailand
The Oval Office meeting to return to participatory
with Thai Prime Minister democracy and restore
Prayuth Chan-ocha un- civil liberties. He declined
derscored shifting U.S. for- to say whether those points
eign policy priorities under would be raised by Trump,
Trump, emphasizing Ameri- but said the president could
can trade and strategic discuss how to strengthen
interests over democracy U.S.-Thai relations.
and human rights in the na- It’s not that unusual for U.S.
tions it deals with. presidents to meet auto-
Prayuth and his wife, Nara- crats in the Oval Office,
porn Chan-ocha, were President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha in but coup leaders are more
greeted at the South Por- the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, in Washington. contentious. Perhaps the
tico by Trump and first lady (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) closest recent comparison
Melania Trump as the Thai uary. ening cooperation, includ- the junta has squelched to Prayuth would be former
leader arrived for talks “So we have a very strong ing in defense and secu- dissent and dragged its Pakistani army chief Gen.
and a working lunch. The relationship right now, as of rity “to help ensure that our feet on holding elections in Pervez Musharraf, who
visit came three years af- this moment, and it’s get- citizens are safeguarded what was once one of the emerged as a close ally of
ter Prayuth seized power, ting stronger in the last nine from terrorism and other most vibrant democracies President George W. Bush
and days after the elected months,” he said, stressing threats.” He also said the in Asia. Political parties are in the war on terror.
leader whose government the importance of trade two nations would work restricted and elections are Musharraf first visited the
he ousted was sentenced ties, which totaled $40 bil- closely on “regional issues not expected before 2018. White House in 2002, three
in absentia to five years in lion last year, with the U.S. of concern.” After the coup, the Unit- years after he seized pow-
prison. running a $19 billion deficit. “I am confident that with ed States under President er from an elected leader
“We’ve had a long and “I think we’re going to try the president’s leadership Barack Obama stopped and before he’d rammed
very storied history with and sell a little bit more to we will be able to tackle all military assistance and through a national referen-
Thailand,” Trump said in the you now, make that a little those problems,” he said. training programs — a dum to endorse his presi-
Oval Office alongside Pra- bit better if that’s possible.” Human rights groups have largely symbolic step but dency. Trump has barreled
yuth, referring to a nearly Prayuth said visiting Trump opposed the visit of Pra- one that went down badly through criticism about
two-century diplomatic re- was a great opportunity yuth. He took power in 2014 with Bangkok, a U.S. treaty outreach to authoritarian
lationship, which the presi- for his government and the to restore order after violent ally that has moved closer foreign leaders as he looks
dent said has advanced Thai people. He expressed political turmoil in Thailand. to China as relations with to shore up America’s long-
since he took office in Jan- optimism about strength- The unrest has abated, but Washington have strained. standing alliances. q

US general: We’ll fly where international rules allow

By AUDREY McAVOY Earlier in the week, North Korean peninsula for rou-
Associated Press Korea’s foreign minister tine exercises and for “show
JOINT BASE PEARL HAR- said a tweet from President of force” missions aimed at
BOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AP) Donald Trump was a “dec- demonstrating its military
— The U.S. Air Force’s top laration of war.” Ri Yong capabilities to North Korea.
commander in the Asia-Pa- Ho said that under the U.N. Many of the flights are in
cific region said his troops charter, North Korea has response to the North’s bal-
haven’t changed the way the right to self-defense listic missile launches.
they operate in response to and “every right” to take The bombers take off from
North Korea’s assertion that countermeasures, “includ- Guam, where the U.S. has
it would have the right to ing the right to shoot down been rotating fleets of B-2
shoot down U.S. bombers the United States strate- stealth bombers, B-1 and
even in international air- gic bombers even when B-52 bombers since 2004.
space. This Sept. 17, 2017 photo provided by the U.S. Air Force shows they’re not yet inside the O’Shaughnessy said he
U.S. Pacific Air Forces com- U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers, U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning IIs airspace border of our told the other Air Force
mander Gen. Terrence and Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighters flying in formation country.” The White House leaders in Hawaii about the
O’Shaughnessy told The during a show of force mission north of Japan. said the U.S. hadn’t de- missions and got their feed-
Associated Press that flying (Mike Karnes/U.S. Air Force via AP) clared war on North Korea. back. He said there was
or sailing anywhere interna- pinned the region’s pros- O’Shaughnessy said. Trump had tweeted that growing concern among
tional law allows is an impor- perity for decades. “We The general spoke Friday North Korea’s leadership his counterparts about how
tant part of the law-based feel strongly we should be after hosting a meeting in led by Kim Jong Un “won’t North Korea’s testing of nu-
international order. He said able to fly, sail anywhere In- Hawaii of air force lead- be around much longer.” clear weapons and missiles
all nations need to abide by ternational rules allow and ers from 17 other countries The U.S. flies bombers, es- would affect the region
the rules that have under- we will continue to do so,” from around the region. corted by fighter jets, to the and globe.q