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North Korea Agrees To Suspend Nuclear Activities
Hugh Pickens writes writes "In a breakthrough in negotiations with the secretive communist nation the Guardian reports that North Korea has agreed to suspend nuclear activities and to a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests. According to U.S. State department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, North Korea has agreed to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to verify and monitor the moratorium on uranium enrichment and confirm disablement of its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon. In return for the moratorium on nuclear activities at this key site, the United States has agreed to finalize a package of 240,000 metric tons of nutritional assistance to North Korea. There will be intensive monitoring to assure the delivery of such assistance is made to those in need, and not diverted to the military or government elites."
In 1992 North Korea agreed to keep the peninsula free of nuclear weapons.
But let's be optimistic, maybe this time around the inspectors will be allowed to do inspections.
Played this game before. As soon as the food arrives they will go back to business as usual. Maybe pump a few more billion counterfeit $100 bills on the European markets.
I'm more than a little Tired of reading about all these triumphant negotiation sessions over the years where NK promises to be a good boy just long enough to get the trade concessions, only to violate the agreement shortly there after. This is like the third or forth president in a row that has been duped by these tactics. As each agreement falls apart, there are the usual dire warnings about "grave consequences". These are the code words by which the US State Department looks tough, but signals the other side that the only "grave" involved is the one in which the whole issue will be buried as soon as the grandstanding is over with.
Son of Whack-Job, and Grandson of Whack-a-Doodle has absolutely no incentive to honor this agreement any more than his predecessors did the prior ones. However, a certain government leader needs a feather in his re-election hat. So we get another useless agreement with a perpetual liar state.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
Hoping for the best, expecting the worst. Could the change in leadership really amount to actual change this quickly?
I'm from corporate and I'm here to help.
The check's in the mail.
Korea agrees to suspend nuclear activities.
North Korea describes fantastic bridge you can buy.
Unlike, say, Iran, NK doesn't actually need nukes to level its sworn enemy. It would probably be faster and more convenient to just level Seoul with conventional artillery. Is there any doubt that their nuclear program is just a bartering commodity for aid?
You get one chance to keep your word. This is it.
Have gnu, will travel.
Talk is cheap, but at least it's cheaper than body bags. I do like that even the most official statements on this seem to be the equivalent of "Welp, here we go again."
“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,” said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
Those words were echoed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who called the agreement a “modest first step in the right direction.”
I think that's Pol-speak for "We've played this game before, we know how it ends, but what's the alternative?"
There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell 'em.
North Korea still the best Korea!
No way - North Korea has no Seoul.
He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
It seems like the USA is always picking up the tab on stuff like this. Why not NATO?
Actually, most people with a sound knowledge of English know that A) a ton and a tonne are not the same thing and B) the E in English should be capitalized.
Actually, China has been feeding NK for 10s years. It dropped somewhat in 2008 due to shortages in China, (in fact China has started importing grain from Kazakhstan in 2010). Russia, on the other hand has stepped up their humanitarian aid to NK in recent years.
NK provides the crazy uncle that China needs to cover some of the things it does in regard to Tibet, Taiwan, and Iran. China is not going to get on board with any program of regime change in NK.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
You misspelled "megagram."
Somewhere in the insane ramblings of the original Kim was the comment that no great breakthrough can come without great struggle.
Couple this ideology with the total worship of self-reliance and you can see where this is going:
NK is too proud to ask for food from outsides (it would defeat their total self-reliance) even though it needs it, instead it rattles the sabre and makes threats, then 'agrees' to back down if the West will provide food.
Wash, rinse, repeat. It all comes together if you keep the first fact in mind. This is the way of NK and will be until the gov't is removed from power.
So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
You mean mebigram???
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
What amazes me about this is that it is so inexpensive for the US. Wheat is less than 300 per metric ton so this is only about $72,000,000. A round off error in the US debt and less than the negotiations probably cost.
NK provides the crazy uncle that China needs to cover some of the things it does in regard to Tibet, Taiwan, and Iran. China is not going to get on board with any program of regime change in NK.
I know this isn't of much value since I can't quote my references, but I remember hearing/reading about this particular matter and it actually seems China is getting slightly frustrated with its "crazy uncle". It makes sense, actually: NK requires a lot of material aid yet provides very little of concrete value in return. The only thing China really wants from NK is to act as a strong buffer against the capitalistic influence of SK, and by now, I suppose they've realized that this particular concern is rather insignificant. If NK becomes even more dependant on Chinese aid, it's possible that even China will have a change of mind.
It's also hard to believe that China is particularly happy about a "new" nuclear power rising very close to it's borders, especially since the ruling despot family has proven to be very eager to test its arsenal every once in a while.
"I'm just here for the achievements"
So we send more food to North Korea, the military and elites get bigger rations.
While the exact food supplied as aid may not be going to the military/elites the food aid would allow them to divert other supplies elsewhere.
Food aid is a great idea though, it is one of the most economically damaging things you can do to a country. Start dumping cheap/free food on their markets, put all the local farmers out of business. Farmers and families become disgruntled, have no income or work. The land degrades and the country becomes completely dependant on external aid. The next step is to provide weapons to the groups of ex farmers.
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The only thing China really wants from NK is to act as a strong buffer against the capitalistic influence of SK,
And a sock puppet to export nuclear and missile technology to Syria, Iran, Hamas, Burma and probably a few other places.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
For all the jaded souls who think there is no hope and this will degenerate like the last time. Fatty Kim is a product of Western universities. He attended school in Europe (Switzerland I believe) - he has experienced western lifestyle and no doubt sees his own people not having the same lifestyle.
He's unlikely to want to give up power- but he may just have been infected by enough free-thought whilst in Europe to legitimately want change. There is hope that Fatty Kim is not just a younger, hungrier, clone of his father.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch