"N. Korea to expand tourism
North Korea is governed by a secretive, hard-line communist regime whose motivations and decision-making processes remain obscure.
Who would want to tourist there then?
Meanwhile, the U.S. has senators cutting back-room deals on a health tax, and as for secretive, hard-line governments, welcome to USrael!
Related: US envoy raps N. Korea on human rights
Yeah, you can't talk to those people!
"N. Korea calls for peace treaty with US" by Washington Post | January 12, 2010
TOKYO - As conditions for progress in stalled nuclear talks, North Korea said yesterday it wants a peace treaty with the United States that formally ends the Korean War and the removal of UN sanctions that are squeezing its anemic economy.
Yeah, they do this every few months.
And with that weak economy, how much of a threat can they be?
Won't be able to sustain money-losing wars like us!
“If confidence is to be built’’ between itself and the United States, North Korea said, the truce that ended the conflict in 1953 must be replaced with a formal peace treaty ending “the state of war that is the root cause of hostile relations.’’
But the United States, with the unanimous backing of the UN Security Council, has insisted in recent years that the root cause of the world’s rancorous relationship with North Korea is Pyongyang....
Of course, if someone said it was Israel the U.S. would veto the idea.
And what is with the blame game, U.S.? Really don't want peace, do you?
North Korea abandoned the talks last year, saying they had become a vehicle for regime change.
Gee, I can't imagine why the Koreans would be worried about that.
But in the past six months, it has significantly moderated its tone and calmed its belligerent behavior.
So they are BETTER than ISRAEL, huh?
Analysts speculate that UN banking, trade, and arms-sale sanctions have cut off revenue to the government of leader Kim Jong Il....
Some would -- and rightly so -- consider those acts of war.
Aaaah, ya' blew it, Koreans!!!
"North Korea backpedals, demands end to sanctions; Move signals measures are taking a toll" by Kwang-Tae Kim, Associated Press | January 16, 2010
SEOUL - Last month, North Korea got a coveted visit to Pyongyang by a top US official and hinted it was ready to resume negotiations on giving up its nuclear program.
He insulted them!!!
Now, the country appears to be backpedaling, raising the bar by demanding an end to international sanctions before any talks.
Of course, when Israel does it, it's cool.
The move sets up a probable new roadblock, because it’s highly unlikely the United Nations, the United States, and others would roll back sanctions.
As the war-mongers eyes light up!
I say GET the Koreans some FOOD, not threats!!!
It also is the latest sign that the punitive measures appear to be taking a toll on the totalitarian regime of Kim Jong Il....
Related: Iran is Paranoid
The North Koreans must not be.
“What is most serious is that the export of weapons has been restricted,’’ said Yoo Ho-yeol, a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University near Seoul. Military exports are an important source of hard currency for the North, which has long been suspected of selling weapons and missiles to some Middle East countries. The sanctions have probably scared off potential customers, Yoo said.
There have been several high-profile weapons seizures or incidents in the past six months. The most recent incident was in December, when a cargo plane that left North Korea with 35 tons of weapons was seized by Thai authorities during a refueling stop in Bangkok. Paperwork seen by arms trafficking researchers indicates the weapons may have been headed to Iran.
Related: CIA Caught Sabotaging Korean Peace
The newspapers really are CIA, aren't they?
North Korea lobbied to have the sanctions eased when Stephen Bosworth, the special US envoy to North Korea, visited Pyongyong in December. He responded that wouldn’t happen until North Korea returned to the nuclear negotiations and made significant progress in getting rid of its atomic weapons....
So when does Israel have to get rid of theirs?
North Korea broke off negotiations more than a year ago. Dubbed the six-party talks, they are a joint effort of the United States, China, Russia, Japan, and South Korea to end the North’s nuclear weapons program. In a rare diplomatic offensive this week, North Korea’s top envoys in Beijing, Moscow, and at the UN held interviews with foreign media to repeat demands outlined in a statement Monday from its Foreign Ministry.....
Regarding South Korea, the North sent conflicting signals this week. On the one hand it threatened to break off dialogue and even attack the South while on the other it proposed talks to restart suspended programs in which South Korean tourists can visit the North.
Noh Jong-sun, a professor at Seoul’s Yonsei University, favors easing the sanctions to entice the North to the negotiating table. “The North is in serious pain due to sanctions, but the stick will not resolve the issue,’’ Noh said.
I like his thinking!
He warned that putting too much pressure on North Korea could push it to strengthen ties with China. China is North Korea’s biggest trading partner, a key aid donor, and a longtime ally dating to the 1950-53 Korean War.
Related: Slow Saturday Special: China Keeps the Peace in Korea
I know it sounds silly, but the Chinese make me cry!
Its influence is seen as crucial to getting the North to return to talks, though analysts differ over how hard Beijing is willing to push. China is believed to have temporarily suspended major investment projects in North Korea to cajole its impoverished neighbor back to the negotiating table, said Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at South Korea’s Kyungnam University.
Are they just shining sunshine up our skirts, folks!?
I don't believe China would do that for the reasons given.
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