27 April 2009

ROH MOO HYUN takes the Fifth.

NO WORSE THAN HAVING THEM THERE, I guess: The Economist calls for proceeding with six-party talks without the North Koreans. I happen to be a supporter of continuing this charade, but only because charades have cosmetic value.

CITING SOUTH KOREAN INTELLIGENCE SOURCES, the Joongang Ilbo reports that the North Korean military is reasserting itself “over several key policy-making issues” in a restructuring of the ruling Worker’s Party. This would dial back a trend reported last year, in which the the civilian party leadership gained at the military’s expense. Or, all of this could be bullshit….

A CAUTION THAT ALSO APPLIES to fresh reports that Kim Jong Un is being groomed for succession. Far too slowly to take power before his old man goes to the big meat locker, if you ask me.

“North Korea marked the 77th anniversary of its military on Saturday with vows of a ‘merciless strike’ against the United States and its allies, which it accuses of attempting an invasion.” Thank goodness they’re not in league with the terrorists anymore.

IT ISN’T COWBOY DIPLOMACY when a Democrat does it:

Responding to North Korea’s purported reactivation of its plutonium-producing facilities, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Saturday that Washington wants dialogue with Pyongyang, but the communist country should first retract its brinkmanship. “We’re not going to be blackmailed by the North Koreans,” Clinton said during her surprise visit to Baghdad. [Yonhap]

Good for her for saying it, but let’s see if events bear that out.