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China-Japan-Koreas
U.S. Proposing Aid in North Korea Talks
2004-06-24
The United States proposed on Wednesday that North Korea agree to a series of nuclear disarmament measures over a three-month period in exchange for economic benefits and an easing of its diplomatic isolation. The proposal, unveiled at the start of six-nation talks in China, would ultimately lead to the end of North Korea's nuclear program. It was the most detailed U.S. proposal for bringing about a diplomatic solution to the North Korea nuclear impasse since it surfaced almost two years ago.
I'm hoping this is just more 'engaged apathy.'
During the three-month "preparatory period," North Korea would disable its nuclear weapons and remove key weapons ingredients. "The permanent and verifiable dismantlement and removal of North Korea's nuclear programs would follow," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. During the initial period, the nations in the Beijing talks would be willing "to ease the political and economic isolation of North Korea," according to the U.S. proposal. Outside assistance would focus on deliveries of fuel, particularly from South Korea. No lasting benefits would be provided to North Korea until after the disarmament had been completed, Boucher said. There would be no American assistance until the later stages of the process.
So we don't ante up til they do.
A shrill North Korean response to the proposal was expected on Thursday, said a senior administration official, asking not to be identified. Under the U.S. proposal, some form of security guarantees also would be offered to give North Korea the confidence that disarmament would not trigger an attack. The senior official described the U.S. proposal as a repackaging of the government's previous stance, mostly to make it more appealing to partners pushing for a more flexible American approach.
'Engaged apathy' is alive and well.
Posted by:Steve White

#11  Verlaine---appreciate your comments. For verification to work, Kimmie will need an epipheny, like G'Daffy of Libya, and I just do not see that happening in Nork-Land. If China wants to pick up the tab for his madness, they can do so. Anything we do in aid for Nork is enabling the govt to carry on its destruction of its citizens, just like Bob in Zimbabwe. The sooner these psychopathing govts are toppled or allowed to implode, the more people will be saved in the long run. It is ugly arithmetic, but true.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-06-24 12:15:21 PM  

#10  Screw Kim and screw North Korea. When they disarm/dismantle all facilities/programs and allow to be put in place a method for positive verification then they get the assistance they need. Until then, zippo.

No compromises, no bargaining.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-06-24 11:59:48 AM  

#9  Alaska Paul, I agree with your assessment -- I was just laying out what I thought were the minimum elements of an acceptable verification/inspection regime. It ought to be done in a very high-profile manner -- so any "critics" of our approach can be b*tch-slapped and it shown that we are not the problem. This would not resemble the folly of '94, which used the approach of a trade agreement with a friendly neighbor to halt the determined nefarious activities of a closed, hostile, bizarre distant enemy.

I'd say odds of acceptance are a bit less than 50/50. Chances that thinking people would settle for anything less than this are zero.
Posted by: Verlaine   2004-06-24 9:22:38 AM  

#8  On a serious note - if a proposal is made by the Bush Administration, there will be teeth to it. W doesn't do window-dressing.
Posted by: Super Hose   2004-06-24 3:37:06 AM  

#7  I hope that Kim undestands that although he is giving up nukes, the PRC still supports his prerogative to drive tanks over his citizens and run biological experiments on his dissidents.
Posted by: Super Hose   2004-06-24 3:34:54 AM  

#6  Heil no, sheit! Fark the felchers, they've never measured up under similar arrangements, why should we trust them now? Unless it's election year posturing to try and win over some of the moderate lefties.
Posted by: therien   2004-06-24 2:42:28 AM  

#5  I may be mistaken, but the NORKS will never agree to us deeply and systematically rooting around in their Nuke industry. So it is a pseudo generous thing that we offer aid. The NORKS do not want to change. They have had the same sick modus operandi and society for over 50 years now. Who knows, maybe after Kimmi dies, but I do not know all the nuances of Head Nork succession. I do not think that this will go anywhere. Which is fine by me.....
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-06-24 2:06:01 AM  

#4  There would be no American assistance until the later stages of the process.
Posted by: Edward Yee   2004-06-24 1:55:27 AM  

#3  Agree to all the goodies NK wants, as long as China picks up the entire bill. If SK wants to bride Kimmie, then pull out our all troops and let SK learn just how expensive the US defense commitment to SK was. Hell, pull out the troops anyway.
Posted by: ed   2004-06-24 1:55:24 AM  

#2  Exactly how is this proposal different from what the dynamic duo ie. Carter and Clinton had offered N.K? We're going up the same street-throw $ at the problem and hope it straightens out. N.K. should get ZERO US tax money, sorry. It is a rogue state and the more N. Koreans starve the greater likelihood that they will rebel against their demented leader. If the US puts food in their bellies, they will love him and still hate us. Give me a break...this is not an "original" approach to dealing with Pingpong Whatshisface. It's the same old, same old ineffectual cave-in on the part of Uncle Sam.
Posted by: rex   2004-06-24 1:47:15 AM  

#1  So long as the requirements implementing the "permanent and verifiable" dismantlement are absolutely comprehensive and overwhelming, OK.

This would include, at a minimum, US participation in every step of enumerating and documenting each location and facility, dismantlement and removal of equipment and materials, perpetual go-anywhere no-warning inspection rights and in-country personnel and facilities supporting same, and especially -- transfer (documented by ongoing US presence) of every single scientist, engineer, and technician involved with the nuclear program to non-military pursuits. The pervasiveness, flexibility, and intrusiveness of the verification arrangements should make it impossible for the NoKos to do any significant nuclear work. Their personnel should have us essentially looking over their shoulder, indefinitely.

Think of the production-site verification arrangements of the INF Treaty -- but multiplied by a factor of 100, and extended to personnel as well as places and things.

We'd have to be deep in their shots in every imaginable useful way. The merit and beauty of this approach is that is simultaneously the only technically acceptable one, and the one that will provide front-end confirmation of NoKo seriousnes, i.e. surrender on this issue.

Clueless process-obsessed types are always dreaming up impractical new arms control "fixes" for political and strategic conflicts. Well, here's a new approach that just might work, if it's intrusive and relentless enough. Anything less than this sort of unprecedented approach, I think, just constitutes another game in which the risks are all down-side for us.
Posted by: Verlaine   2004-06-24 1:30:51 AM  

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