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."

Comments

Still in violation

[Beryllium Sphere(tm)]

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.

Re:Still in violation

[Anonymous Coward]

In 1992 North Korea agreed to keep the peninsula free of nuclear weapons.

and in return the U.S., Japan and S. Korea would build light water reactors in N. Korea. The construction stalled and the rest is history. It is not just about whether N.Korea allows inspectors. There is no free lunch. N. Korea won't give it up without rewards.

Re:Still in violation

[HBI]

Next time they want something, the inspectors are kicked out and more nuke and missile tests.

Essentially, we bribed them with food to keep quiet through an election year. Nice.

Re:Still in violation

[MozeeToby]

Alternatively, we sent desperately needed food to people who are starving to death by the tens of thousands and got a temporary concession out of the North Korean government in the process. And don't tell me it just supports the dictatorship either, do you really think the people of North Korea are about to rise up and overthrow the Kim family business? It's not going to happen until something major goes down, either a military coupe from within or a 2 week war with one of their neighbors, neither of which will be effected by us giving them food aide.

Re:Still in violation

[HBI]

Starvation is a great motivator. Feeding the people extends the regime's lifespan. Stalin feared famine. Napoleon understood this. The Romans understood it, too.

Re:Still in violation

[h4rr4r]

Stalin used famine to crush those who opposed him. He caused one! Holodomor not ringing a fucking bell for you?

North Korea saw true famine in the 90s, it only made their people more sure that the west was the evil empire. Famine only proves to the people of North Korea that we are their enemies and only the Kims are keeping them alive.

Re:Still in violation

[h4rr4r]

You don't know about the North Korean Famine?
The "Arduous March" is not something you are familier with, but you think we should take your opinion seriously?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_famine

Famine is not new to North Korea, it will not topple their regime.

Re:Still in violation

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's a little tidbit from Slate: ... he seized all the grain and food that was grown in 1932 and 1933 to feed the rest of Russia and raise foreign capital, and in doing so left the entire Ukrainian people with nothing to eat—except, sometimes, themselves. ...

One more horror story. About a group of women who sought to protect children from cannibals by gathering them in an "orphanage" in the Kharkov region:

        "One day the children suddenly fell silent, we turned around to see what was happening, and they were eating the smallest child, little Petrus. They were tearing strips from him and eating them. And Petrus was doing the same, he was tearing strips from himself and eating them, he ate as much as he could. The other children put their lips to his wounds and drank his blood. We took the child away from their hungry mouths and we cried."

If interested, read the whole article at http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_spectator/2011/02/stalins_cannibals.single.html

Been there, done that

[icebike]

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.

 

Re:Been there, done that

[tomhath]

Oh for some mod points...

Yea, Six Party talks, humanitarian assistance, blah, blah, blah. Instead of giving them the reward ahead of time, how about an agreement where they have to do something first and get the carrot afterward?

Re:Been there, done that

[Joce640k]

A lot of oppressed, hungry people will get some food to eat. It will be like Christmas for them.

Isn't that a good enough reason to allow yourself to be "duped" once in a while...?

Re:Been there, done that

[Attila Dimedici]

A lot of oppressing, poorly-fed soldiers will get more food to eat plus some for their relatives. It will be like Christmas for them as they get to use the extra food to reward their favorites.

Isn't that a good enough reason to allow yourself to be "duped" once in a while...?

FTFY

As Usual...

[JeanCroix]

Hoping for the best, expecting the worst. Could the change in leadership really amount to actual change this quickly?

Kim Jong-un

[PPH]

You get one chance to keep your word. This is it.

It's either this or send in the Marines

[Darth_brooks]

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?"

Re:So?

[gnick]

North Korea still the best Korea!

No way - North Korea has no Seoul.

Why is the USA footing the bill?

[Anonymous Coward]

It seems like the USA is always picking up the tab on stuff like this. Why not NATO?

Re:Suspend not end

[PRMan]

There is a new leader. A goodwill gesture toward getting him to be friends with the international community is not a lost cause. He is not his father and may decide that he would rather move in the direction that China has moved. This is a good move for the US to make.

Re:Metric 'Tons'?

[Guppy06]

You misspelled "megagram."

Re:Suspend not end

[Sponge Bath]

There is a new leader. A goodwill gesture toward getting him to be friends with the international community is not a lost cause.

I like your optimism. Mine is exhausted by decades of history on this issue, but I salute your willingness to try again.