Japan Talking “Regime Change”

James Brooke has the goods. Japan sees stress cracks in the regime’s control. Add this drop to the steady trickle of not-so-trustworthy reports (although this does seem pretty conclusive). Not sure where Brooke had been recently, but his coverage of North Korea puts The Washington Post to shame.

Rebecca has more. I like her new, bloggier writing style. She writes persuasively that all the talk of a newfound unity among the five nations dealing with North Korea is just that, talk. Or more specifically, puppet theatre (I think she means this kind of puppets, not this kind).

I’m equally dubious about our alleged success in getting cooperation from China. Hu Jin Tao said, “I believe you can never push too hard for a good purpose.”

Yes, that’s it. Still waiting for any report of a decline in rail traffic across the Yalu. I’ve said it a thousand times: China wants North Korea there as a diversion for us and a buffer for them.