Posted on 06/15/2007 11:21:40 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
NKorea lashes out at U.S. despite progress on funds issue
The Associated Press
Thursday, June 14, 2007
SEOUL, South Korea: North Korea warned Friday it might increase its "self-defense deterrent," a term the communist nation usually employs for its nuclear program, even as its key condition for nuclear disarmament was being met.
The warning came as the world waited for a positive sign from North Korea because a prolonged banking dispute with the United States was on the verge of resolution.
North Korea blames the financial row for the lack of progress in fulfilling its promise to start disarming, and its warning Friday raised concerns that the recalcitrant regime might be trying to find another reason to drag its feet.
"The U.S. is claiming that it is building a global missile defense system to protect against missile attacks from our nation and Iran. This is a childish pretext," the North's Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. "We cannot but further strengthen our self-defense deterrent if the arms race intensifies because of the U.S. maneuvers."
North Korea has refused to act on its February pledge to shut down its nuclear reactor until it gets access to US$25 million (18.6 million) once frozen in a U.S.-blacklisted Macau bank.
Claiming the money freeze was a sign of Washington's hostility, North Korea boycotted international nuclear talks for more than a year, during which it conducted its first-ever atomic bomb test in October.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
Ping!
Yep....its in their playbook and the Bush administration has acted rather foolish in the entire affair.
Now the funds have been sent to Russia, the last I heard, but they too have put a stop to it, asking for assurances that they dont get blacklisted for sending it on to North Korea in violation of US laws over dealing financially with Pyongyang.
What a circus!
Kim Jong il, if not on intravenous tubes, must be laughing his ass off.
One would hope - probably in vain - that those in government repsonsible for relations with North Korea would eventually come to realize that the leadership of that Asian nation are characterized neither by honesty nor reliability.
Anything else is just an exercise in diplomatic masturbation, and boy have we got a lot of professionals in the State Deportment.
Waiting has its own set of consequences. And, of course, the DOS will want to "offer the olive branch" to the next thug in line.
Take your partner, dos-a-dos, swing her around and away we go... Where's Maddie Halfbright when you need her? At least she was comical enough to befit the occasion.
Wishful thinking isn't positive. Wishing presumes that all other means one is willing to consider have no prospect of working; else one PLANS instead. Plans presuppose the logically supportable expectation that they'll work. That means one is constrained to a set of actions that is likely to be outside of what DOS would even consider. So our Yalie bureaucrats go into denial instead, hoping to fan their egos, and keep their handsome salaries with ample perks in return for a maintaining a charade of empty posturing.
If one is wishing while the enemy plans one is guaranteeing conflict against a prepared foe at the worst possible time. Such a habit the US has conducted around the world for sixty years while the world closes sinks into tyranny, building a steady supply of weapons, with ideology fueled by hate and jealousy. Thus devolves DOS wishing into a potentially fatal perfidy.
DUH NOT Suprise at all
Gee Chia Pet are you throwing temper tamtuem you didn’t get money and booze you wanted
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.