As Pyongyang Squirms . . .
Friday, May 13, 2005 at 6:39PM ■"South Korea Urges the North To Rejoin Talks On Weapons," by Norimitsu Onishi, New York Times, 13 May 2005, p. A6.
■"China Says U.S. Impeded North Korea Talks: Beijing urges informal gestures, perhaps coffee or a meal, and less harsh language," by Joseph Kahn, New York Times, 13 May 2005, p. A6.
■"Christian Right Focuses on North Korea: Human-Rights Policy Tops Agenda as Evangelicals Look to Broaden Mission," by Murray Hiebert, Wall Street Journal, 13 May 2005, p. A4.
■"New Maxim From Beijing, '2 Sides of Strait,' Is Met With a Yawn From Taiwan's President," by Jim Yardley and Chris Buckley, New York Times, 13 May 2005, p. A8.
North Korea brags it's bagging up spent fuel rods, enough to make a few more bombs, and South Korea urges their evil twin back to the negotiating table but begs off any effort to discuss the issue at the UN Security Council.
And some people worry that our stance is too stiff? Buddy, we need to provide backbone enough for both us and our Seoul brother. Christopher Hill sounded tough but on the money Wednesday night at the group dinner we both attended. I say, keep up the steady pressure, waiting for the inevitable screw-up, and then jump on that trolley car while it passes by.
China can blame us for the impasse in the meantime, and certainly this administration has done little to win China over . . . on Taiwan, for example. But eventually China will see Kim as having far too much of a veto over their own regime stability--and the Chinese leadership will want him gone. If we really want him gone, then we need to decide how fast and how far our emerging strategic partnership--not some asinine competition--with China can go on this particular pony.
Getting to the inevitable first and with the least effort is what strategic planning is all about. "2 sides of a strait, one China," may be met with a yawn for now, but eventually this formulation, and many more to come, will be met with a . . . dare I say it? Yuan!
Til then, expect the loudest voices on North Korea's innate evil to come from the evangelicals in the U.S. God love 'em!
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