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| Korea |
| Senate Dems Want Bush to Look at N. Korea |
| 2003-12-20 |
| WASHINGTON (AP) - The threat from North Korea’s nuclear weapons program has reached a crisis stage and President Bush should become personally involved to ensure a coherent response, three top Senate Democrats said in a letter to the president Friday. "Given the stakes involved and the fact that time is not on our side, we believe this issue deserves your personal and immediate attention," wrote Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, Carl Levin of Michigan and Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. I think the surprise meter twitched briefly -- are these guys arguing for [gasp!] unilateral action™? The senators wrote that the United States "urgently needs an effective strategy for dealing with the threat posed by North Korea’s growing stockpile of nuclear weapons." But they said U.S. negotiators "have been lacking the clear guidance and flexibility necessary for successful negotiations." The good senators, of course, have been missing the point of our negotiations, but don’t let that stop you, boys. The United States has been trying to arrange a six-nation conference, also involving China, Japan, South Korea and Russia, on North Korea’s nuclear program. A first round of the talks, in Beijing last August, ended without progress. Definite progress was in fact made when the NKors dissed the hosts and the hosts got pissed. North Korea wants to trade its nuclear weapons for economic aid and security assurances. The United States says North Korea should dismantle its nuclear weapons first, as a condition for getting aid. Seeing as they lied to us last time. The senators also asked Bush to direct his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, to brief the Senate on statements by a senior administration official, appearing in a New York Times article, that North Korea has used the past year, after expelling international inspectors, to produce additional nuclear weapons and weapons material. Outstanding command of the obvious. Levin is top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and Rockefeller is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Thanks boys, nice hearing from you. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #9 Does anybody think that the embarassment about corruption will swollow Roh? If so, will the negotiations be back to square one? |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-12-20 5:29:46 PM |
| #8 Daschle needs to read Rantburg. We discussed this in detail before, and decided Bush was doing exactly what he should do - make China and Russia nervous enough to apply heavy pressure on Kimmie to abandon his latest toys. It may take rumors of Japan developing nuclear weapons to get China that nervous. I'm also scratching my head, wondering if the latest Taiwan/China tempest may have been a shadow play for China's benefit: "look, we're reigning in Taiwan and getting them to cool their talk about independence, you now need to take care of Kimmie." I'm not sure Bush is that convoluted, but I suspect either Wolfowitz or Rice may be. The problem with the Donks is that they don't have ANY new ideas, and that includes ideas about how to conduct foreign affairs. That lack of innovative thinking, more than anything else, will be their doom next November. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-12-20 4:27:21 PM |
| #7 These Dems are just jumping on the NORK issue because they have nothing else and they want to get back into the Like the Russians say, "Tough Schitskis." |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-12-20 2:27:07 PM |
| #6 Plus, they are trying like mad to neutralize Bush's win in Libya. |
| Posted by: rkb 2003-12-20 1:48:34 PM |
| #5 Sounds more like an attempt to prove themselves relevant and concerned about foreign policy, while trying to embarass the White House. NK is a legitimate issue, but it's a controllable one. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2003-12-20 12:59:20 PM |
| #4 I don't expect another 6-party meeting until the SK contribution scandle plays out. These Senators fully understand the plan/policy for NK. They have adopted a posture that puts them in an advantageous position to capitalize if the plan goes South. The three probably don't expect to be able to sway the American public in the presidential election. I think they are hoping for enough wins in Senate races to gain control of the Senate back. NK is their last hope for a foriegn affairs disaster. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-12-20 10:34:09 AM |
| #3 The Donks are trying to be clever. They look around and see Mr. Bush on a roll. So they bait him with NK hoping against hope his hot streak comes to an abrupt end. Silly Donks, have you not been to Vegas? NEVER bet against the guy on a hot streak. |
| Posted by: Mark 2003-12-20 7:42:42 AM |
| #2 These Dimocrats just slay me...as if President Bush hasn't been giving this his total attention for months since the NorKs started this saber-rattling! But the Donks don't care: as long as they get their sound bite and get enough of the "sheeple" to believe that Bush isn't on the ball. Vote the Dims out in 2004, please. All of them. |
| Posted by: JenLArt 2003-12-20 6:55:41 AM |
| #1 Why is Rockefeller still on the Committee after that scandel a few weeks ago involving the timed release of information to be used in the elections? His head should have been on a pike for that. Idiot. |
| Posted by: Mike 2003-12-20 6:29:05 AM |