You Don’t Say

Yahoo Headline: “N. Korea nuke test would pose challenges.”

There is one interesting item in the article:

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Richard Lugar (news, bio, voting record), R-Ind., said he concluded from a recent meeting with Bush that the president expected other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — including Russia and China — to join him in seeking U.N. penalties against North Korea if there were a test.

China has indicated it opposes such action as a means of leverage over North Korea.

But Lugar said Bush “feels the Chinese … would take a dim view of the test, to say the least, and would be prepared to go to the U.N. if that is required.”

This seems to back up Slim’s comment, suggesting that China’s public protestations are strictly for public consumption.

I’m highly dubious, and if the administration shares my doubts, it could have some mid-level “source” whisper in David Sanger’s ear about options we could exercise if China remains unconcerned that it’s fueling a mortal threat to U.S. security. It might also be time for Scott McClellan to use to the words, “Kim Jong Il doesn’t have the balls to test a bomb.“