Anju, March 29, 2012

REVERSED POLARITY: North Korea is still denying to the world that it sank the Cheonan, but according to one recent defector, it’s proudly proclaiming its responsibility at home. On the other hand, former Ambassador Donald Gregg, who as far as I know hasn’t actually defected in the geographic sense, nonetheless is still getting ink from KCNA for his Cheonan conspiracy theorizing. Maybe one of the AP’s new North Korean “correspondents” should interview him.

MISSILE SATELLITE LAUNCH UPDATE: Despite the danger that pieces of North Korea’s rocket could fall on Japanese or South Korean territory, I strongly doubt that either Japan or South Korea will make good on its threats to shoot the thing down. If I’m wrong, here’s a run-down of how that would work.

I THOUGHT THEY SAID THERE WAS NO QUID PRO QUO: “The United States has suspended plans to send food aid to North Korea because it has broken a promise to halt missile launches and cannot be trusted to give the help to those who need it, a Pentagon official said Wednesday.” I don’t know anyone who actually trusts the State Department, but I do know a lot of smug people who believe that deceiving the hoi-polloi is necessary to create “space” for the mendacious to do their work.

ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION: “More than 30 officials were executed in North Korea last year to consolidate new leader Kim Jong-un’s grip on power, international human rights watchdog Amnesty International said Tuesday.”

GIVES A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO ‘NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND:’ What Orwellian lengths the Chicoms go to to make sure starving kids get shipped off to concentration camps.