By It looks like North Korea is getting impatient with US hardliners who are preventing the State Department from giving in to their demands:
North Korea threatened Friday to block progress in the six-party talks over its nuclear programs, claiming efforts by U.S. hardliners to disrupt dialogue with Pyongyang could aggravate the current standoff. The North also said it will have no choice but to take a certain measure "provided the U.S. warmongers keep taking a tough stance" against the communist state.
The six-party talks hit a snag as Pyongyang claimed it has fulfilled its pledge under an accord at the talks to disable its key nuclear facilities and give a full account of its nuclear facilities by the end of last year. Washington, however, insisted Pyongyang has yet to submit a complete declaration.
The delay prompted U.S. hardliners to demand their government end all negotiations on Pyongyang’s nuclear arms plans since the North is unlikely to give up the programs by the end of Bush administration’s term. Some say Washington should raise the issue of North Korea’s human rights record at the six-party talks. [Yonhap]
I can’t imagine what this certain measure is going to be. Maybe they will kick out the Yongbyon nuclear inspectors? If so big deal because Yongbyon is old and falling apart anyway, it is the rest of North Korea’s nuclear program that is of concern that they won’t declare.Â
Also note that every time Pyongyang gets this agitated and pissed off it usually means the US is doing something right, which in this case is demanding a complete nuclear declaration from North Korea. Some how the State Department doesn’t inspire much confidence in me that they won’t give in to their demands. I hope I’m wrong.Â
7:09 am on February 9th, 2008 1
One Free Korea reported recently on a Jane's article saying that North Korea appears to be heading for final collapse. Yes…many heads have been piked over such claims since 1990…but this is Jane's…..and I have to hope they are right, because I made such a prediction a year ago based on what I considered significant unusual signs out of Pyongyang.
So I think this year, these next few months, will be very much worth watching. If NK tests another nuclear device, especially a bigger or more public one, then I would start getting relief supplies ready for the refugee floods (one collapse comes)…..seriously….
When NK tested an ICBM and nuke back-to-back so quickly, I think it was most likely a big sign the regime fears collapse in the near future.
If it does either of those things soon, it will further boost my confidence.
The only other place NK really has to go from there is — bloodletting.
It backed off that after the nuke test — because the Bush admnistration went from effective pressure to sticking its head up Kim Jong Il's ass.
We just recently shipped more heavy fuel oil….
….but apparently, Pyongyang isn't getting enough to make it happy.
If we start seeing either of the tests mentioned above or we start seeing deadly shootouts at the DMZ and naval gun battles and militarily provocative moves, moves that draw blood or come damn close to it……I think the North will be ready to go —– and we should push them hard – not with bloodletting of our own, but a resumption and strengthening of sanctions and do the best we can with the fallout of collapse.
8:08 am on February 9th, 2008 2
I love this. Remove us from the terrorism blacklist or we'll take "a certain measure" against you!
Our State Department will fail to see the irony.
9:08 am on February 9th, 2008 3
I think the "certain measure" will be different than we think:
I think he plans to kidnap the New York Philharmonic and force them to serve as his personal "walked right into that one" orchestra, or maybe use them to entertain the Japanese civilians he kidnapped to train his spies.
Wouldn't that be ironic, given Lorin Maazel's headline-grabbing defense of the Dear Leader's death camps.
11:12 am on February 9th, 2008 4
Next Tom Clancy film: Certain Measure.
**SPOILER FOLLOWS**
North Korea announces a peaceful space launch of a Taepo-Dong 3. They show video footage to the press of a payload consisting of a Taeguk, kimchi, a lock of Dear Führer's hair, and a piece of seagull shit from Tokdo. The US objects, but South Korea stands firmly with North Korea and warns the US against interference.
Plot revolves around US diplomatic failures, South Korea's opposition to any foreign responses, and spacecraft preparations. The rocket launches and is tracked by various Son of Star Wars sensors. It seems to have a failure over the Pacific, and the joint South-North Corean space center atop Mount Baekdu portrays it as a final booster separation failure, causing apparent debris to tumble towards CONUS.
US doesn't shoot down the missile because it has passed the SM-3 and GBI engagement envelopes, and the HEMP warhead explodes 300 miles above Kansas, and then the screen goes blank and fades to credits.
12:57 pm on February 9th, 2008 5
Joshua: Kudos on your Maazel, Hitchens, and Hill U-Tubed articles (February 7-9), especially Bruce Klingner's comment in the last. There's no doubt conservatives have the moral high ground on this issue.
However, and I argue this with all sincerity and indignation, as one who once swore an oath to pick up the rifle to go north and will again (probably with my wife right behind me), when Beijing (who is complicit itself during the latter phases of AQ Khan's Pakistani network) and Moscow yawn at Washington's protestations, in the best of all worlds, what next? It's deadlock again, and if Seoul continues to at least look the other way, Washington is isolated. The Syria connection provokes hardly a yawn. Even Tokyo is reconsidering its commitment to the abduction issue.
There are two paths to take, not exclusively. Firstly, cut off food and oil aid (at which point Beijing and Seoul will fill the gaps). Secondly, place the DPRK issue at the top of Washington's concerns with Beijing, squeeze Tokyo tightly, and quietly arm Taiwan. The first option is a PR disaster for Washington. The second would be both a departure for Washington on all three counts, and put the entire Pacific on alert. And, in one year, a Democratic White House and Congress would probably overturn all of it.
I see no alternative but to kvetch, until Washington can both commit to war and underwrite the reconstruction of the Korean peninsula.
6:22 pm on March 8th, 2008 6
[...] joked about such an event on ROK Drop a few weeks [...]