Dead End: The North Korean Crisis

Pajamas Media ^ | September 27, 2008 | Gordon G. Chang

[AJKauf]

We can be reasonably sure that, at this time, North Korea is not negotiating for better terms. It is wrecking the six-party process simply because it can no longer adhere to its obligations. Short of military force or other extreme coercive measures, Pyongyang cannot be persuaded to disarm. Despite what Ms. Rice says, this is not just another “down” in the talks. It is the end...

[hinckley buzzard]

I have never thought these "agreements" were worth spit. The idea that a crazed police state like NoKo would willingly give up its only leverage in the world was and is a psychotic belief. If Christopher Hill believes what he says he is too mentally unstable to be safe at the State Department. He should be removed and left to do some kind of harmless and irrelevant makework--maybe writing drivel for the NY Slimes editorial page.

[InterceptPoint]

As long as you let the State Department decide on how to handle the North Koreans rather than the Defense Department you will find yourself wasting vast amounts of time and resources and you will accomplish nothing. Countries that want nuclear bombs can get them unless you intervene in some massive way. We are not willing to do that. The world is not willing to do that.

Get ready for North Korean, Iranian and Al-Qaeda nuclear weapons in the hands of madmen. It will not be pretty.

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

NK cannot be trusted to comply with any agreement, period. Eventually it is going to come to a test of arms, again.

[Mount Athos]

What a surprise! John Bolton right AGAIN!

[Wuli]

Our negotiating position should be very clear:

We will not give you anything to not develop nuclear weapons.

You should not do it. No one in all of Asia supports you for doing it. The world will not applaud or increase any support for you for doing it. Your developing nuclear weapons is simply suicidal.

As long as you insist on developing nuclear weapons, we will give ourselves and our allies the ability to eliminate them within seconds of being launched. Period.

Until your nuclear weapons development efforts stop, until we and our allies can, on our own, verify those efforts have stopped and until the remnants of any past efforts are destroyed and until we, on our own, can verify their destruction, there is nothing to negotiate, nothing we will offer you, nothing we will help you with. Nothing.

In short, your policy of nuclear blackmail no longer has any takers.

This is not an offer. This is the way it is.

[yazoo]

“Pyongyang cannot be persuaded to disarm.”

Of course they can. They just need to sit down with Obama, without preconditions.