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COLUMNISTS
TODAY'S STORIES
27.06.2008
Dancing In Pyongyang

North Korea just blew up the cooling tower on its own Yongbyon reactor, as part of an ongoing dismantlement deal with the United States. This is a momentous step because it's largely irreversible: North Korea will never again be able to kick out inspectors and start reprocessing plutonium in a matter of days, as it did in 2003.

Of course, we don't know if Kim's decision was affected by the fact he now has a nuclear arsenal. North Korea may very well renounce its nuclear program, but keep the 8-15 bombs it produced during George Bush's "I'm not talking to you" phase (cir. 2001-2006).

By pursuing that ridiculous policy, George W. Bush may have perversely increased America's long-run incentive to prop up the North Korean regime--since now, a coup or political meltdown would run the risk of putting those nukes in the hands of terrorists.

--Barron YoungSmith

Posted: Friday, June 27, 2008 1:21 PM with 4 comment(s)

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blackton said:

A coup wouldn't do that, it would almost certainly be a military coup but given how much they prop up the Kim's they would likely do it behind closed doors and keep Kim as a figurehead. If it were a real coup they sure as hell wouldn't do anything so stupid as to sell it to Middle Eastern types, not with China, South Korea, and the US watching their every move. And a melt down would just lead to the walls coming down and the South Koreans propping up the people. The nuke stockpile would surely have been secured by the Chinese in that case.

The only concern is not their selling nukes but selling the know how, but to whom? Iran? I suppose but who else?

June 27, 2008 2:06 PM

Political Animal said:

NORTH KOREA'S NUKES....Barron YoungSmith comments favorably on North Korea's decision to blow up the cooling towers of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor:This is a momentous step because it's largely irreversible: North Korea will never again be able to kick

June 27, 2008 2:33 PM

tec619 said:

From the non-partisan FOX News-Lightspeed flil floppery:

HANNITY: The news today brings a clear foreign policy victory for the Bush administration. But will the press report it that way? Joining us now for analysis, former ambassador to the U.N. and a Fox News contributor, John Bolton. What do you think this means?

BOLTON: I think it's actually a clear victory for North Korea. They gain enormous political legitimacy....In return, we get precious little. I think this is North Korea demonstrating again that they can out-negotiate the U.S. without raising a sweat.

HANNITY: Boy I tell you they've done it time and time again, and I'm sorta perplexed, Mr. Ambassador, to understand why we keep going back to the well knowing that they haven't kept the agreements in the past. Whatever happened to Reagan's "trust but verify"?

Thanks to ThinkProgress

June 27, 2008 6:52 PM

tec619 said:

Oops. That's "flip" floppery.

June 27, 2008 7:28 PM