Friday, December 14, 2007

Improved Relations with North Korea?

Today, North Korea's president Kim Jong-il agreed to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula as long as the US makes an effort to improve relations with them as well.

Bush told the press:
“I got his attention with a letter and he can get my attention by fully disclosing his programs, including any plutonium he may have processed and converted some of that into whatever he’s used it for. We just need to know.”

In October, the communist country had already agreed to dismantle its nuclear weapons and publicize all nuclear programs in exchange for 950,000 tons of oil (or the same in money). Some are displeased with this resolution because it doesn't make N. Korea fork over all the warheads and plutonium they have secretly stored up. Others believe that this is one of the few successes Bush has achieved in this period of disappointing foreign diplomacy.

The White House celebrates its victory: a letter passed through N. Korea's representative to the United Nations, from Kim Jong-il, stating that N. Korea would keep its word as long as the US stuck to its side of the bargain.

Do you guys think that Mr. Kim will REALLY disclose all the programs and disassemble all the nuclear warheads so none of them are operational, just for a oil? Is this a victory of Mr. Bush and show his competence in foreign diplomacy?


Full Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/15/washington/15korea.html?ref=washington

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This sounds all really good but I doubt North Korea will really disassemble all nuclear warheads in exchange for oil and better relations with the United States. Of course they are going to keep nuclear weapons aside and just cheat us out of needed oil. We couldn't trust North Korea before and I don't think we should trust them now. Also, I wouldn't count this as a victory for Bush because he is probably going to screw something up later regarding this issue. But I guess time will tell.

kamon kirker said...

i agree with bryan also, this seems like it would be a great victory for everyone but really we have to wait and see if N. Korea is telling the truth about sticking to their word, as well as our govt. sticking to theirs. This deal for the oil also kind of reminded me of appeasement for Hitler when he was given the Sudetenland, and then after that he went back on his word and took over Czechoslovakia i think was the next thing.