Chinese State Media: North Korea Not Interested in Direct Talks With Unite

[TomClash]

Meanwhile back at the ranch . . . our North Korea policy is going swimmingly . . .

Chinese State Media: North Korea Not Interested in Direct Talks With United States Over Nuclear Program

By Alexa Olesen Associated Press Writer
Published: Feb 19, 2005

BEIJING (AP) - North Korea no longer wants to negotiate with the United States and four other nations in an effort to ease the ongoing standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear program, China's state news agency said Saturday.

The official Xinhua News Agency, citing an anonymous North Korea Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the official reiterated the communist regime's Feb. 10 decision to indefinitely suspend its participation in six-party nuclear disarmament talks. Those parties are the United States, the two Koreas, China, Russia and Japan.

Reviving the stalled talks has taken on greater urgency since North Korea's explosive but unconfirmed declaration earlier this month that it has become a nuclear power.

After announcing it had an arsenal, Pyongyang demanded one-on-one meetings with the United States to discuss the nuclear dispute - a move Washington rejected. On Saturday, the North Korean official withdrew that demand.



http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBQSK2XD5E.html

[Igel]

1. Pinning them down is like trying to tack down a glob of mercury. n/t

[TomClash]

4. It's an annoying style of negotiation requiring patience

pressure and payoffs.

[More Than A Feeling]

2. The title is inaccurate

The article says that they DO want direct talks with the US, not multipolar talks

[TomClash]

3. North Korea wanted direct talks

Now they don't even want that.

They no longer want to negotiate at all with the United States.

[More Than A Feeling]

6. Ah yes, you are right after all. My mistake

Missed the very last part, where the demand for direct talks was withdrawn

[Igel]

8. Ah. Well that would be consistent.

And I retract my mercury glob comment.

[cliss]

5. We need to stay on top of everything that N. Korea does.

....every day, if need be. Thank God, we get updates here at the DU.

North Korea is a loose cannon. They have nuclear capability. Their relationship with Washington is SO dysfunctinal. They are like the out-of-control alcoholic/drug addict who is in a very sick relationship with his co-dependent mom.

He comes home every so often (too often), and picks fights with mom. He puts a 6-pack of beer in the fridge, even though Mom has begged him not to do that. She know how crazy he gets. He's had several DUI:s, been in jail a few times, and has 4 out of wedlock kids with former girlfriends.

Junior marches in, goes to the fridge and pulls out a Cold One. Pops the top off. Junior's eyes wander over to mom, who's sitting by the kitchen table. She's starting to get pissed.

....here we go again, he thinks. And Junior needs to instigate the fights. He needs the fighting to trigger his huge sense of guilt so he can continue the cycle of drinking-remorse-guilt-drinking.

Al-Anon recommends that MOM get help, because out of the 2, she has better chances of recovering. And when her life gets better, Junior can go on to a better life.

Sorry for the long analogy and rant, but this administration is linked with North Korea in a very sick way. The more Bush bullies the rest of the world, the more Kim Jong pops up at inopportune times, like a jack-in-the-box, much to Washington's chagrin.

Pay attention, Washington.

[TomClash]

7. Here's a scary scenario

We know North Korea has ICBM capability - probably sufficient range to hit NY, or at the very least SF. Let's suppose North Korea has now advanced to the point where it can successfully fix one or more nuclear warheads on an ICBM. Bush pushes them - and they launch a missile, hitting SF. Then, "The Nation Rallies Around the President." We hit them.

Here's the scary part - SF is gone - well, for the fundies - what's so bad aobut that? Everyone goes to church, the world is ending, oil prices double or triple.

Who benefits?

[yinkaafrica]

9. What a difference a month makes