According to AP, the North Koreans have tentatively agreed on how to go about disarming the nation. This is a good start.

Two observations:

I wonder how long until the communists try to back out.

And

I hope we didn’t agree to anything we’ll regret later on.

Heck, how about a third observation. We should be glad, in the context of this particular issue, that we reelected Bush in 2004. Bush stubbornly held to the six-party negotiation framework, which apparently was the right thing to do and is having the desired effects. Kerry, on the other hand, wanted to talk one on one to Korea, and there’s no telling where we would be right now on this issue. Recall the September debate between the two.

I anxiously await the spin from our worser half. I recall there were plenty of left-wing ballot-whores who previously criticized us for being too unilateral on Iraq while simultaneously criticizing us for being too multilateral on North Korea. Democratic Presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton comes to mind.

This is too funny.

The successful nuclear test in the DPRK was an exercise of its independent and legitimate right as a sovereign state as it was a positive defensive countermeasure to protect the sovereignty of the country and life and security of the people from the U.S. escalated nuclear war threat and sanctions and pressure.

The “life and security of the people”? You mean the ones that are starving? Yes, we can all see how much you are concerned about their life and security, lil’ Kim. That’s why you spend all their wealth on weapons; makes perfect sense.

The DPRK was compelled to legitimately pull out of the NPT according to its relevant provision and manufactured nuclear weapons after undergoing the most fair and aboveboard and transparent processes as the U.S. seriously encroached upon the supreme security of the DPRK and the fundamental interests of the Korean nation under the pretext of the nuclear issue.

Woah woah woah woah woah. Back this trolley on up. North Korea pulled out of the NPT in 1994? So…that means…it isn’t all Bush’s fault? This isn’t “Bush’s bomb” as Al Gore called it? North Korea became enraged in the 90’s? That can’t be, surely it was because of Iraq!

…The adoption of this “resolution” made it impossible for the UNSC to evade the historic responsibility for having patronized and connived at the U.S. which caused the division of Korea, the root cause of all misfortunes of the Korean nation, in violation of the UN Charter the cornerstone of which is the principle of sovereignty, equality and self-determination and has systematically perpetrated undisguised moves to “bring down the system” in the DPRK.

This is all laughably absurd. The U.S. has given $1.1 billion to North Korea over the last decade in the form of energy and food aid. If the Norks want to play it hard, let’s play it hard. The only reason they stand up and spittle this nonsense out is because they know damn well we won’t do anything about it. In fact, we’ll keep paying them off!

Enough is enough. Cut them off. Only when their people are dying - and not because we won’t give them aid as the left will undoubtedly whine, but rather because their “leader” blows up 40 years of GDP while throwing an international hissy fit - will the North Koreans have to face the hard choice of whether they want to rattle their sword or support their populace. As long as we keep propping them up they don’t have to make that choice.

These appeasment policies under the guise of “humanitarian aid” have got to stop, they do nothing but backfire. Yes, it sucks North Koreans don’t have food, but they won’t ever be able to support themselves as long as they have a psycho in power spending all their wealth on international stunts. The more we prolong his domestic failure the longer he remains in power.

Following Kim’s nuclear hissy fit, the Security Council has implemented sanctions against North Korea.

The resolution:

* Demands North Korea eliminate all its nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles

* Requires all countries to prevent the sale or transfer of materials related to Pyongyang’s unconventional weapons programmes, as well as large-sized military items such as tanks, missiles and helicopters

* Demands nations freeze funds overseas of people or businesses connected with North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs

* Allows nations to inspect “as necessary” cargo moving in and out of North Korea to check for banned items

* Bans export of luxury goods to North Korea

* Calls on Pyongyang to return “without precondition” to stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear programme.

Predictably, what the UN did not do was give North Korea any reason why they must comply with demands that they eliminate “nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles”. From Threatswatch:

With no provision for the use of force as an enforcement mechanism, many observers believe North Korea can be expected to ignore the UN Security Council demands that it ?eliminate all its nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles,? as this is a tall order to place without the backing of force.

The BBC article also claimed that the language was toned down over Russian and Chinese “concerns”. That is inaccurate; Their demands are not based on concern, as that implies a desire for a positive outcome. China and Russia have no such desire, their obstruction is deliberate and malicious. These two countries are not our friends. They are deliberating trying to harm us - by encouraging the misbehavoirs of North Korea and others - so as to set the stage for their emergence as a countering global influence. Our continued indulgence of their demands - that we never take any action to stop the aggressive behavoir of the likes of Kim Jong-il - only serves to further their goals and weaken our global influence.

Ted Turner ‘Very Upset’ Over North Korean Nuclear Test

Liberal billionaire Ted Turner — who last year claimed that North Korean officials were “absolutely sincere” in their intent to use nuclear power only for civilian purposes — said Monday that he’s “very upset” the Asian nation has conducted a nuclear weapons test.

“Obviously, I don’t like to see nuclear proliferation, and I’m very upset about” the test, Turner told an audience at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. “I just hope that the United Nations and the Security Council can come up with a peaceful way of resolving” the situation. See Video

Turner’s position was quite different during a Sept. 19, 2005, interview on CNN’s Situation Room after the billionaire returned from a meeting with North Korean officials.

“I am absolutely convinced that the North Koreans are absolutely sincere,” Turner said then. “There’s really no reason for them to cheat” and use nuclear power for weapons instead of generating electricity and other civilian uses.

“I looked them right in the eyes, and they looked like they meant the truth,” he added. “I mean, you know, just because somebody’s done something wrong in the past doesn’t mean they can’t do right in the future or the present. That happens all the, all the time.”

Goodness, that’s about all the stupidity I can take. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all that he had to offer.

In the end, the only real solution to nuclear proliferation is “for everybody to get rid of all nuclear weapons” under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Turner stated.

I’m sure those North Koreans will be most happy to oblige, Ted. And it will be nothing more than common courtesy when they say, “you first”. Afterall, they are completely trustworthy. Honestly. You can take my word for it. I saw it in their eyes.

Statement by the President.

. . .Once again North Korea has defied the will of the international community, and the international community will respond.

This was confirmed this morning in conversations I had with leaders of China, and South Korea, Russia, and Japan. We reaffirmed our commitment to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, and all of us agreed that the proclaimed actions taken by North Korea are unacceptable and deserve an immediate response by the United Nations Security Council.

The North Korean regime remains one of the world’s leading proliferator of missile technology, including transfers to Iran and Syria. The transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to states or non-state entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States, and we would hold North Korea fully accountable of the consequences of such action.

The question is, on what basis should North Korea believe they will be held accountable? They haven’t been before. Neither have most of the other countries actively working against us.

Newsmax reports Iranian scientists present at the test.

Fox news reports on the outcome of a meeting between U.S. Assistant Secretary of State and the Chinese Foreign Minister concerning efforts to get North Korea to halt it’s provocative actions.

“China’s really trying. We’re trying. Everyone is trying except, unfortunately, the DPRK,” Hill told reporters, referring to the North by the initials of its formal name. “So far the DPRK seems to want to choose a road of deeper isolation.”

Hill said a Chinese delegation visiting Pyongyang have held meetings with North Korean officials but want to conduct more. He had no details of the talks.

Supporters of a U.N. resolution that would impose sanctions on the North over its missile tests last week have postponed a vote to give China time to use its influence as the North’s main ally and aid donor to push for renewed negotiations.

“Unfortunately, we don’t yet have any sign that the DPRK attaches the same amount of importance to this process,” Hill said.

North Korea isn’t interested in talk. Unless we show that there are going to be real consequences for his actions, Kim Jong-il will continue to laugh at our demands of “talks”. China and Russia continue to balk at the prospect of holding North Korea accountable.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized Japan for what he called its uncompromising stance on the resolution.

“The Security Council’s reaction must be firm, but it mustn’t be overloaded with emotions and mustn’t contain threats that could drive the situation into a deadlock,” Lavrov said Wednesday. “Unfortunately, the draft Security Council resolution now under discussion is fraught with all these unacceptable drawbacks.”

Beijing has proposed an alternative resolution with many of the same measures ? on a voluntary basis. It calls for a return to the six-party talks, which involve the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

Voluntary…what’s the point of that? If North Korea wanted to comply with any of those measure, they could simply do it now. But they don’t want to, we have to force them to. This is exactly why the U.N. and it’s security council are utterly worthless. China and Russia are not interested in security. They want insecurity, particular surrounding America, so that they can move in and form a second super power out of the east.

Not surprisingly, the anti-american Cuban lacky, Hugo Chavez, is supporting the rogue North Korean actions.

Fox News

The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Japan agreed Monday to continue discussions on a resolution against North Korea in response to missile tests that rattled the region last week.

The Tokyo-sponsored resolution that calls for sanctions would have to be altered for the council to approve it, China’s ambassador told reporters after a meeting with envoys from the United States, Russia, Britain, France and Japan.

“If they wish to have a resolution, they should have a modified one, not this one,” Ambassador Wang Guangya said.

China’s consideration of any resolution was considered significant since Beijing had been pressing for a presidential statement, which is not legally binding.

Once again China is obstructing. How long must we pretend that China and Russia deserve a say in dealing with these rogue states? How long must we pretend that they are on the side of security, when their every action shows they really want to encourage these destabilizing forces?

Meanwhile, Japan is considering the merits of a pre-emptive strike against North Korea, though they appearantly like the capability.

Japan was badly rattled by North Korea’s missile tests and several government officials openly discussed whether the country ought to take steps to better defend itself, including setting up the legal framework to allow Tokyo to launch a pre-emptive strike against Northern missile sites.

“If we accept that there is no other option to prevent an attack … there is the view that attacking the launch base of the guided missiles is within the constitutional right of self-defense. We need to deepen discussion,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said.

Japan’s constitution bars the use of military force in settling international disputes and prohibits Japan from maintaining a military for warfare. Tokyo has interpreted that to mean it can have armed troops to protect itself.

A Defense Agency spokeswoman, however, said Japan has no offensive weapons such as ballistic missiles that could reach North Korea.

Japanese fighter jets and pilots are not capable of carrying out such an attack, a military analyst said.

“Japan’s air force is top class in defending the nation’s airspace, but attacking another country is almost impossible,” said analyst Kazuhisa Ogawa. “Japan has no capacity to wage war.”

When Israel defends itself from Islamist terrorism, the Council responds almost immediately with condemnation. Will it respond similarly to North Korean missile launches? Doubtful, but that’s the question as Japan proposes a draft resolution to sanction North Korean.

The draft - which has the support of the United States, Britain and France - is tougher than previous versions. It adds language saying that no nation will procure missiles or missile related “items, materials goods and technology” from North Korea, or transfer financial resources connected to the North’s program.

Also included is earlier language ordering countries to “take those steps necessary” to keep the North from acquiring items that could be used for its missile program. Diplomats said it could be put to a vote Saturday.

Not surprisingly, Russia and China are obstructed these efforts. The constant protections they offer for tyrants and agitators has to make us question the kind of long term threat China and Russia are intending to pose. It certainly seems that they are doing everything they can to protect anyone attemping to be a thorn in our side. If they want us weakened, we need to start asking why, and how they plan to expoit that weakness.

In a stance that mirrors their positions on Iran and Sudan, veto-wielding members China and Russia look set to block efforts by the U.S. and its allies to respond strongly to the latest provocation by the Kim Jong-il regime, which lobbed at least seven short-, medium- and long-range missiles into the Sea of Japan as Americans celebrated Independence Day.

. . .

But French envoy Jean Marc de la Sabliere, whose country holds the council’s rotating presidency this month, said afterwards that China and Russia were pushing for a presidential statement.

A statement from the body’s president is a far weaker diplomatic response to a crisis than a legally binding resolution entailing sanctions.

Russia taking the same stance with regard to North Korea that they took with Iraq is troubling. Does that mean they are also selling weapons to North Korea, like they did Iraq?