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Bill Richardson, the utility diplomat on the Democratic bench, has secured a deal with North Korea to allow nuclear inspectors back in their Yongbyon nuclear facility. They also agreed to allow fuel rods to ship to an outside country, probably South Korea, for enrichment. And, the US will receive some remains from Korean War-era soldiers:
In Pyongyang over the weekend, Richardson met top nuclear negotiator Kim Kye-Gwan and Major General Pak Rim-Su, who leads North Korean forces along the tense border with the South.
Pak told Richardson that North Korea had recovered the remains of several hundred US servicemen killed during the 1950-1953 Korean War and offered to help secure their return to the United States, CNN said.
Richardson arrived specifically to head off escalating tensions around a live-fire drill from the South Koreans, and that also worked. The DPRK backed off a threat to retaliate in the event of the drills, which the ROK started early Monday.
Analysts believe this is a significant deal brokered by Richardson, but as it mainly concerns plutonium and not uranium enrichment, the North Koreans may be giving up control of a much less crucial technology:
TADASHI KIMIYA, PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO:
“At the foreign ministers meeting, Japan, the United States and South Korea have set higher hurdles for North Korea. Allowing back in inspectors are also included in there, but the three countries have set some other conditions.
“This is just referring to Yongbyon’s (North Korea’s main nuclear facility) plutonium issue. What’s becoming serious now is the issue of highly enriched uranium … To merely refer to the plutonium development without mentioning the highly enriched uranium issue seems somewhat delusive.
“It certainly is a change compared to nothing taking place, but (the North has recently shown that) it has developed highly enriched uranium to such a level, and if they are doing that much above the ground, it’s only natural to think that they are doing something more underground.”
The North Koreans want to get back to six-party talks, and the uranium enrichment isn’t part of the offer. But considering the trajectory of tensions between the North and South, at least diplomatic resolutions are back on the table.
Surely after this, there’s some other crisis that the soon-to-be-unemployed Richardson can be moved to as an envoy.
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Yongbyon, not Yongbon, in first paragraph. /pickyeditor
On the Q of substance, why is S. Korea trying to provoke DPRK militarily? Testing the new Kim?
Not if the Republicans have anything to say about it. Nothing irks them more than Democratic success. I’m waiting for the screaming from them about this. Peter King must still be asleep.
The Koreas remind me of two spoiled children with over protective fathers. South Korea is willing to push at North Korea as long as daddy United States is behind it and North Korea will drop random ordinance into South Korea as long as daddy China has it’s back. If they weren’t artificially propped up, they would have been forced to settle their differences, (which are an artifact of the cold war), long ago.
Assuming NK carries out this deal, they’ll still possess atomic weapons and they’ll still be working on fusion boosted weapons. They’ll still be a HIGHLY unstable government, with a population largely existing near starvation and a huge military.
My respects to Richardson, but I’m not seeing his deal as anything big.
Boxturtle (And NK has delivery systems already working, just need to shrink the size of the package)
“The professional military mind is by necessity an inferior mind and unimaginative; no man of high intellectual quality would willing imprison his gifts in such a calling.” H.G.Wells, 1920. That sums it up nicely don’t you think General Petraeus, Captian McCain, et al? This North Korean deal is all a load of crap. But it sure makes President Shameful look like the peacemaker. More fakery presented to the gullible sheep for their approval. Peace
Yes:
Israel vs Palestine (A Tar Baby, and not good faith to be found)
Karzi & The Taliban (Probably a winner)
Yeah but are they really a threat? After all, there’s no oil. Wouldn’t we be better off bombing somebody who might have nuclear weapons someday than somebody
with them alreadywho doesn’t have oil?In your analysis of Israel v Palestine who has not shown good faith? Israel? Palestinians? Both? The United States? Peace
I sometimes think the only reason we haven’t struck them is because they really don’t have anything we want. If they didn’t have nukes, we’d likely just build a big wall around them and let ‘em starve.
I doubt Obama has the brains to figure out something effective wrt NK, and I’m SURE he lacks the spine to implement anything workable that someone else might think of.
Boxturtle (Poetic justice that China’s relationship to NK is just like our relationship to Israel)
Both. And the United States as well. Israel has won this fight and the Palistinians will get only what Israel is willing to give them. And Israel’s patron won’t even write a Sternly Worded Letter.
Boxturtle (A pox on BOTH their houses)
While I think that all then time
Tangential– I’d like to point out that Richardson was raised in Mexico (Mexico City). I’m not saying I like everything about the guy but I would like to see this demonization of “brown people”/Spanish-speakers just stop besides the fact the US– especially Texas in its current political configuration– should own up to its role in creating Mexico (with effects on the rest of Latin America) as Dante’s Inferno.
America believes in “equality”, Margaret, we are an equal opportunity bombing nation.
Ultimately, we must be prepared to bomb every country … even our own, which is, now, a “ticking time-bomb”, else how will anyone, anyplace, take “us” seriously.
As we’ve no sense humor, other nations cannot tickle our funny bone, and besides, about all we “make” in this country any longer IS bombs and the means of “delivering” them.
If we’re gonna haf alla time war, then everbody else is just gonna haf ta get used ta being bombed.
Nobody gonna bomb us, like I saya, we’re gonna haf ta do that to our own sweet selves, cuz nobody else gotta da ballz – yet.
On the bright side, that all gonna change, sumday, you betcha.
Looky Forwardy, alla rage of future, come backy Homeland, like dem chickens what be comin home for roosting and rooster … crowing, sure ‘nough.
DW
We agree then that all parties have been two-faced. Israel has at least 500 deliverable nuclear bombs. Iran has zero (0). Yet the Israelis are permitted by the United States to NOT declare itself a nuclear state and to threaten Iran with military action if it develops a nuclear bomb. Of those 3 countries which country is being more disingenuous? Peace
Sometimes I think it’s because there are no Moslems or other Scary Brown People in NK.
Sometimes I think it’s because Dick’s friends told him that China would hurt THEM if he hit NK. China knows how to hurt an MOTU if they wish.
Sometimes I think it’s because we don’t have anything to hit them with that’s not already being used to hit Scary Brown People.
Sometimes I think it’s because we want to keep Japan frightened and cooperative.
Boxturtle (Sometimes I sit’s and thinks, other times I just sits)
David Dayen has another fresh cross-post ready: Austerity Grand Bargain Feared Between Republicans, White House
Don’t assume Iran has zero. Don’t assume that Israel has only 500.
Boxturtle (And is there a stronger term than “two-faced”?)
How many do you assume that they have? Enough to defend themselves against an Israeli/American attack? They really need none(0) (which is how many they claim they want) to shut the Staright of Hormuz down and deny the West most of its oil. That move would crash every Western economy within two weeks. Peace
In the case of Iran, I don’t assume ANYTHING. This is not a backward country, they have skilled scientists and engineers. If they could get enough fissile material, they could assemble a bomb very rapidly. Could they defend themselves against an Israeli or American attack? Heck, no! But even one delivered nuke could hurt us badly by contaminating the main Saudi oilfield.
Boxturtle (I think Iran is trying to be like Japan: No nukes, but able to build one quickly)
To sum up then: It is our (US) support of Israel that is the root cause of the greater part of the worlds conflicts today? Peace
from chinese news service
North Korea to Allow Nuclear Inspectors to Return
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have been granted permission to return to a North Korean Nuclear site. The news comes following a visit by Bill Richardson, former US ambassador to the United Nations. http://www.newslook.com/videos/276378-north-korea-to-allow-nuclear-inspectors-to-return?autoplay=true