Analysis: N. Korea impact being weighed

AP on Yahoo ^ | 7/4/06 | Pete Yost - ap

[austinaero]

Japan should send the NK back their rockets.

[shield]

Ignore them....ignore them....ignore them....

[Williams]

Maybe. All this "we'll study it and figure out what to do" is weak. The N Koreans only respect credible threats.

[coconutt2000]

We don't have to enter into direct talks with N. Korea.

We need to decide if we're going to take a firm stand against NK's nuclear ambitions and cut off all foreign aid, and threaten all the countries who try to pick up the slack with trade repercussions. This includes China.



North Korea's sole purpose in gaining nuclear weapons is to escape China's shadow. With nuclear weapons North Korea can hold its neighbors and its own cities hostage, forcing concessions of more aid from the international community. It wouldn't be necessarily overt coercion, but the shadow of nuclear terrorism would hang over all trade and aid negotiations from then on.

China doesn't mind. North Korea serves as a major distraction from China's own military build up. China could put an end to this if they wanted to. That they haven't only means that they choose not to.

[Carl LaFong]

"..delivered some unwanted fireworks to the Bush administration "
Well, Pete Yost-AP,If it was just to people in the Bush administration, I guess the remaining of us millions of Americans have nothing to worry about!

[Past Your Eyes]

Let the Asians handle it. There's only 2 light bulbs in North Korea and one of them is burnt out.
Seems like with all this hand wringing going on around the world over a few dead carp that Little Ding Dong has got his way. Again.

[umgud]

"The message that we do not want a nuclear North Korea or a nuclear weapon-armed Iran — that message is the same message and the international community is unified in sending that message," said Hadley. "So that is the lesson that we hope both the Iranians and North Koreas will draw from this."

We haven't sent a meaningful message to Iran or NK. We're not in a very good position to do anything to NK without putting millions in Seoul SK in immediate jeopardy. Iran might be easier.

[shield]

we'll study it and figure out what to do

LOL...we already know what to do. We're just putting out disinformation!!! Come on don't be fooled...we've got plans for every scenario you can't even imagine....

[fella]

Why no mention about how well our airborne laser worked?

[NormsRevenge]

Oh Mannnn,, You're on Triple super duper secret probation for divulging that . ;-)

[Reily]

To all
Pretend your Kim Il-Jong. Where is your motivation to give up nuclear weapon development?
Nuclear weapons make him a 'player' on the international scene. Being nuclear armed make him the second most powerful country militarily in Asia. (Second to the PRC!)
Does anyone rationally (other then a liberal!) think that appealing to his concern for the needs of his 'people' will work ? From his viewpoint his people are fine anything less would admit failure or weakness on his part. Not something a megalomaniac dictator is likely to do.
He will negotiate for the international attention and for material to increase his military arsenal.
Personally I think we should simply ignore him, and let both South Korea & Japan develop antimissile systems and their own nuclear countering force. The PRC won't like this but North Korea is (maybe was !)their client state.

[NormsRevenge]

just a side note,

I don't know which is worse,

a panel of former Clintinoids on with Larry King dissecting the NK situation with a cameo phone call appearance by Slimy Bill Richardson.

or

Hannity&Colmes loading it up tonight with re-hashed Howard Stern and Ward Churchill segments..

[USNBandit]

I flipped over to CNN and almost puked. Larry King was loaded up with Wendy Sherman, Sandy Berger, John Pike, and a couple others I didn't recognize. Throw in Richardson and you are going to get a really balanced picture. (projectile barfing)

The Dems and the media must have been planning this response for weeks to dig up this many leftist leftovers from the failed policies of the past. Maybe they don't celebrate the 4th of July.

[4rcane]

i say pull troops out of South Korea and scare those ungrateful South Koreans a little

[fella]

oooops.

[blam]

"Ignore them....ignore them....ignore them...."

Hard to do if you live in Japan.

[Hilltop]

Shhh...nobody is supposed to know, Roger that, over.

[Billthedrill]

North Korea delivered some unwanted fireworks to the Bush administration...

I think it's time to start calling AP on this kind of stuff every time they do it. The authors here view this development strictly through the lens of domestic American politics and in the role of hostile opposition toward the sitting administration. They are fools.

It is possible that such luminaries as Riechmann, Gearan, Burns and Margasak actually believe in rewarding this sort of behavior on the part of the North Koreans by diplomatic concessions. But not, I suspect, for the good of the world - they advocate that course of action because they know it will serve to weaken the United States and by extension their political enemy, and that any damage to the former they will be able to lay triumphantly at Bush's door and to hell with the consequences.

Why do they still bother to pretend? The AP has arrogated to itself the role of active political opposition. It isn't even a new organization anymore.

[fella]

Ah, fergedaboutit. Just heard it's the NY Times and the MSM lead story for tomorrow complete with blue prints, bill of materails & operators/maintance manual.