http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/ Tue, 22 May 2012 21:47:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-55630 OneFreeKorea » Bush Administration’s Blackout Can’t Silence Syria-N. Korea Speculation Sat, 24 Nov 2007 22:28:04 +0000 http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/#comment-55630 [...] Pure speculation, then, and clearly marked as such.  Read and decide for yourself, but I don’t see a great deal of support for Even’s theory so much as I see legitimate questions about the prevailing one — that the Israelis bombed a nuclear reactor that was under construction with North Korean help (which would be bad enough).  The prevailing theory is far from conclusively established because (1) the intel has been kept from nearly everyone, including Congress [see Update 1] and most of the intelligence community, (2) no neutral monitor appears to have even asked to inspect the site, and (3) it’s a theory that largely relies on the conclusions of David Albright. [...] [...] Pure speculation, then, and clearly marked as such.  Read and decide for yourself, but I don’t see a great deal of support for Even’s theory so much as I see legitimate questions about the prevailing one — that the Israelis bombed a nuclear reactor that was under construction with North Korean help (which would be bad enough).  The prevailing theory is far from conclusively established because (1) the intel has been kept from nearly everyone, including Congress [see Update 1] and most of the intelligence community, (2) no neutral monitor appears to have even asked to inspect the site, and (3) it’s a theory that largely relies on the conclusions of David Albright. [...]

]]> http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-55548 OneFreeKorea » Kim Jong Il’s Moment of Truth, and Bush’s Thu, 15 Nov 2007 12:49:33 +0000 http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/#comment-55548 [...] Of North Korea’s intentions and attitudes, we already know plenty from past experience.  The real question is what our own government is willing to do for a few friendly headlines.  I think personalities in the State Department who would overlook inspection, verification, and proliferation to please their Chinese and South Korean friends have the tiller firmly in their grasp.  Bush is worn down from bleeding wounds to his ankles, going through the motions, taking the path of least resistance, and getting ready to pop smoke.  If his true goal was to show the futility of dealing with liars, he certainly took great pains to miss a perfect opportunity to do that.  Here is the dirty little secret of Bush’s foreign policy:  aside from the elephantine exception of Iraq, it has been remarkably similar to Bill Clinton’s. [...] [...] Of North Korea’s intentions and attitudes, we already know plenty from past experience.  The real question is what our own government is willing to do for a few friendly headlines.  I think personalities in the State Department who would overlook inspection, verification, and proliferation to please their Chinese and South Korean friends have the tiller firmly in their grasp.  Bush is worn down from bleeding wounds to his ankles, going through the motions, taking the path of least resistance, and getting ready to pop smoke.  If his true goal was to show the futility of dealing with liars, he certainly took great pains to miss a perfect opportunity to do that.  Here is the dirty little secret of Bush’s foreign policy:  aside from the elephantine exception of Iraq, it has been remarkably similar to Bill Clinton’s. [...]

]]> http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-55525 OneFreeKorea » Korean Election Update: Lessers Versus Evils Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:19:54 +0000 http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/#comment-55525 [...] For now, America has chosen to paper over its differences with, and about, North Korea.  When we learn, again, that Kim Jong Il has cheated his way through this latest episode, America will remember that its interests do not lie in perpetuating Kim’s misrule, directly or through South Korea, and they will erupt again.  For America’s interests and Korea’s, it will matter very much who leads Korea at the time of that awakening.  But even in the unlikely event that Korea votes clear-eyed adult supervision into the Blue House, there’s no guarantee that that leader will have a mandate for wiser statesmanship, especially when America isn’t practicing it, and most especially if the winning candidate doesn’t win a majority of the votes. [...] [...] For now, America has chosen to paper over its differences with, and about, North Korea.  When we learn, again, that Kim Jong Il has cheated his way through this latest episode, America will remember that its interests do not lie in perpetuating Kim’s misrule, directly or through South Korea, and they will erupt again.  For America’s interests and Korea’s, it will matter very much who leads Korea at the time of that awakening.  But even in the unlikely event that Korea votes clear-eyed adult supervision into the Blue House, there’s no guarantee that that leader will have a mandate for wiser statesmanship, especially when America isn’t practicing it, and most especially if the winning candidate doesn’t win a majority of the votes. [...]

]]> http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-55184 OneFreeKorea » The Unstoppable Self-Destruction of Kim Jong Il Sun, 21 Oct 2007 11:37:03 +0000 http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/#comment-55184 [...] You also have to wonder how much Kim Jong Il earned from selling Syria a nuclear reactor, as details about the discovery and destruction of that reactor are gradually coming to light and putting intense pressure on President Bush to justify, and even reconsider, the value of a nukes-for-aid deal that could still lead to the full normalization of U.S.-North Korean relations, an incalculable benefit to Kim Jong Il.  Now, Bush is forced to say things like this: ‘’They have declared that they will show us weapons and get rid of the weapons programs, as well as stop proliferation….  If they don’t fulfill that which they’ve said, we are now in a position to make sure that they understand that there be consequences.'’  – President George W. Bush, Oct. 17, 2007, via Kyodo  [...] [...] You also have to wonder how much Kim Jong Il earned from selling Syria a nuclear reactor, as details about the discovery and destruction of that reactor are gradually coming to light and putting intense pressure on President Bush to justify, and even reconsider, the value of a nukes-for-aid deal that could still lead to the full normalization of U.S.-North Korean relations, an incalculable benefit to Kim Jong Il.  Now, Bush is forced to say things like this: ‘’They have declared that they will show us weapons and get rid of the weapons programs, as well as stop proliferation….  If they don’t fulfill that which they’ve said, we are now in a position to make sure that they understand that there be consequences.’’  – President George W. Bush, Oct. 17, 2007, via Kyodo  [...]

]]> http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-54935 Gerry Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:39:11 +0000 http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/#comment-54935 It would seem that no one has definivately been able to conclude what actually happened in Syria. So the news blackout is working with only speculation and people trying hard to put the pieces together. I believe there was a NK nuclear connection, but to stop the disamament of NKs facilities due to bad faith would be a step backward. I would want to continue any portion of disarmament of NKs nuclear projects until it would be in my interest to show my hand. Otherwise it would bring a halt to progress made. That would happen only after the NKs reneged on any of the deals they have already made. A win win situation for the US. It would seem that no one has definivately been able to conclude what actually happened in Syria. So the news blackout is working with only speculation and people trying hard to put the pieces together. I believe there was a NK nuclear connection, but to stop the disamament of NKs facilities due to bad faith would be a step backward. I would want to continue any portion of disarmament of NKs nuclear projects until it would be in my interest to show my hand. Otherwise it would bring a halt to progress made. That would happen only after the NKs reneged on any of the deals they have already made. A win win situation for the US.

]]> http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-54933 North Korea Blog » NYT: It Was a Reactor Sun, 14 Oct 2007 16:56:11 +0000 http://freekorea.us/2007/10/14/nyt-it-was-a-reactor/#comment-54933 [...] Read more of this story… [...] [...] Read more of this story… [...]

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