Saturday 19 December 2009


PYONGYANG ISSUES A CALL FOR ARMS

Donald Kirk

Asia Times, December 19, 2009

WASHINGTON - The more things change, the more they stay the same. The great bargaining game to persuade North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il to puh-leeze be so kind, Dear One, as to send one of your minions over to the party in Beijing is now in full swing.

As tensions and expectations arise, the sense in some quarters here is what a great triumph it would be if only North Korea would be so kind, so open-minded and good-hearted as to rejoin the six-party talks on its nukes that it's been boycotting for the past year.

United States envoy Stephen Bosworth seems to be in charge of pressing the invitation on the North Koreans. Back from Pyongyang after holding forth at press conferences in the capitals of the other invitees, he's counseling "great patience".

While waiting for North Korea to bestow the honor of its company on host China and the rest of the guests, the North's new conditions are - despite Bosworth's reticence - quite rapidly becoming apparent. It was up to South Korea's Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan to reveal that North Korea had asked during Bosworth's mission for revocation of the sanctions imposed after its missile test of April 5, claiming that the long-range Taepodong-2 was launched to put a satellite into orbit. We can assume that North Korea is also insisting on revocation of the strengthened sanctions imposed after its nuclear test of May 25.

(...) [artículo aquí]

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